That play cost the Quakers Game 1 of the Ivy League Championship Series against Brown. But I was only going off of the boxscore, and I admitted that I hadn't seen the play. So now I give you the view of someone who did, Athletic Communications' Matt Kirsch.

"I think if you asked anyone there they would’ve thought Steve Gable was going to make a strong throw to the plate. It was a very shallow hit ball and I was actually shocked that the runner tagged. But he had to catch it because it was so close to the line that if he let it drop, it could’ve landed in fair territory. Even though the official score was a foul pop, it just as easily could’ve been scored a fair pop up. That’s how close it was."

So I guess then the credit goes to Brown's runner for trying the scoring attempt and making it. It's a tough way to lose, but that happens in baseball sometimes.

Baseball, at Brown, lost Game 1 in a 1-0 heartbreak, as Penn was three-hit by Jeff Dietz. Ace Todd Roth was very good for the Quakers, but he allowed an unearned run in the eighth off a sacrifice fly to the second baseman in foul territory. I wasn't there, but I question catching a ball in foul territory in that spot unless you know you can throw the man out.

In Game 2, Ace No. 2 Jim Birmingham just didn't have it. He lasted just 1.2 innings, allowing a grand slam in each of the first two innings. Penn was down 11-0 after three, and never had a chance in a 20-6 loss. The Quakers end the season in disappointing fashion, at 20-19. Brown advances to the NCAA Tournament at 24-18.

Softball was at Harvard, and its trouble was offense. In Game 1, the Quakers were no-hit by the Crimson's Shelly Madick, and lost 4-0.

Penn fell behind Harvard 2-0 in Game 2, tied the score in the third, but then immediately gave up two more runs in the fourth. The Quakers had a few more chances to score, but couldn't, and lost 4-2.

The silver lining for Penn is that it finished at 23-19, the most wins in program history, and it was the first winning season since 1982.

For full coverage of this weekend's events, check out the graduation issue of the DP.

The Quakers were fighting from behind all game, although they brefly held leads of 1-0 in the first and 2-1 in the second.

Penn got exactly what it needed in the first game of its make-up doubleheader against Cornell, though.

The Quakers thrashed the Big Red 13-1, getting three innings from Jim Birmingham and four from Doug Brown for the win.

Catcher Jeff Cellucci was 4-for-4 with four RBIs, and Joey Boaen hit his fourth homer for Penn (12-8 Ivy). Cornell, losers of four out of five, is eliminated with a 7-9 record.

Now the Quakers must root for the Big Red to win at least one game against Princeton in their two doubleheaders Friday and Sunday. Only a four-game Princeton sweep would create a tie in the standings.

More to come in tomorrow's DP.

Anyway, Nick Francona last pitched March 27, Mike Marg and Bret Wallace April 11. Now all three are off the roster, and yesterday, that came back to hurt the Quakers in a big way.

Coach John Cole describes all three hurlers as "voluntarily retired" and did not elaborate.

For the Quakers yesterday, the math was simple and painful. Seven relievers, minus those three, minus one in Robbie Seymour who had to be fresh to pitch Tuesday against Cornell, equals three.

Three relief pitchers available for what turned out to be 19 innings of baseball.

So in Game 2 when William Gordon couldn't find the plate with a 6-4 lead and with Andy Console (Game 1) and Reid Terry (Game 2) having already pitched, there was nowhere else to turn. Cole had to leave his freshman in the ballgame. Two innings, four hits, three walks, two hit batters and six runs later, Princeton had scored its 10th unanswered run and won 10-6.

The good news for the Quakers is that if they can figure out a way to get there, the depleted bullpen shouldn't be too much of a problem in the best-of-three Ivy League Championship Series. With workhorses Todd Roth and Jim Birmingham pitching the first two, there shouldn't be much of a need for relief.

Penn 9-5
Cornell 5-5
Princeton 6-6
Columbia 7-9

First off, is the obvious scenario. If Penn sweeps Princeton and its make-up doubleheader against Cornell, Penn wins the division at 15-5, and will have a great chance to host the Ivy League Championship Series.

But even if Penn can win three of four against Princeton, and then splits its against Cornell (likely early next week), the Quakers will finish 13-7. That would mean Cornell would have to go 7-1 against Princeton and Columbia to tie Penn. That's something for the Quakers to shoot for.

If the Quakers lose two to Princeton but sweep the Big Red, they will still finish 13-7, which will eliminate the Tigers and force Cornell to sweep Princeton and Columbia.

However, if Penn only wins three of its last six games, finishing at 12-8, things get a little dicier. That leaves Princeton still alive, and gives Cornell a chance to go only 6-2 or 5-3 to tie (depending on which games Penn wins), and Penn can do nothing about it.

On the softball side, it's a similar situation, but a little more advanced in time. The South Division looks like this:

Penn 12-4
Cornell 8-4
Princeton 8-4
Columbia 7-9

This time, Penn has to go to Princeton, and even a sweep doesn't guarantee the Quakers anything, as Cornell could win out over Columbia and Princeton to tie Penn -- but the Quakers would be in a great position. Three wins would also eliminate the Tigers, but then Cornell can go 7-1 to tie.

Meanwhile, if Penn splits, things get interesting. Princeton would have to sweep Cornell to tie, and Cornell would have to go 6-2 against Columbia and Princeton to tie. So in that case, making the Princeton-Cornell series meaningful may actually help Penn, which means that two wins might be better than three.

So the bottom line for both teams, is, two wins this weekend is a must, which puts both squads in very good positions in their divisions.

I came across this photo caption on Philly.com today. In a year that's seen the misdeeds of Rafael Robb, the Au Bon Pain murder suspect and Amy Gutmann in the suicide bomber costume scandal, this is not exactly the kind of press that the University needed.

Anyway, I wanted to talk a little baseball this evening. Actually, and I don’t have much practice saying it, a little first-place baseball (sort of). The Quakers are in a virtual tie with Cornell atop the Lou Gehrig division with Penn at 6-4 going into a makeup doubleheader against Brown and the Red at 5-3.

Here are some things to think about as Penn chases its first NCAA Tournament berth since 1995.

Stat of the weekend: 4-1, as in 4-1 in conference games started by freshman pitchers Jim Birmingham and Todd Roth. Roth will try to make that 5-1 in one of today’s games in Providence.

Player of the weekend: Matt Toffaletti. A great replacement for Jim Farrell at third, Toffaletti had a 5-for-10 Saturday against Yale, including his first homer and five RBIs in the nightcap.

Wimps of the weekend: Baseball players. It’s cold outside. Football players play. Soccer players play, I think. From the majors to the college game, there’s been a lot more sitting around by the fireplace than playing ball this weekend. So cover up like B.J. and play ball.

Spring Fling forecast: I’m tired of the usual forecast sites, so I’m going to my new favorite, the Magic 8 Ball. Here goes:

Magic 8 Ball, will it be above 55 degrees on Spring Fling Friday?
My sources say no.

Magic 8 Ball, will it be above 52 degrees on Spring Fling Friday?
Ask again later.

Magic 8 Ball, will it be above 52 degrees on Spring Fling Friday?
Absolutely.

Magic 8 Ball, will it be sunny on Spring Fling Friday?
No way.

Magic 8 Ball, will it rain on Spring Fling Friday?
Definitely.

So we have low 50s and rainy. Beautiful. One more question, Magic 8 Ball. Will the Pistons cover a seven-point spread in New York tonight?
Don’t push your luck, Levine.

One side, the American League or the Red Rolfe Division thoroughly dominated the other in interleague play. For instance, the team that finished last in the Rolfe (Harvard, Dartmouth, Yale and Brown) had the same record as the team that finished first in the Lou Gehrig division.

Except nobody told St. Louis, the 83-78 NL Central champion or Princeton, the 11-9 Gehrig Division champion, that they weren't supposed to have a chance, and the weaker division took the title in both cases.

But this year, the balance of power has shown some early signs of a shift. With the first of the two interdivisional weekends nearly complete (Brown and Cornell play a makeup this afternoon), Penn's division has already surpassed its win total from all of last season's 32 interdivisional games.

After going 6-26 against the Rolfe in 2006, the Gehrig is 9-6 this season, led by Penn's 3-1 effort against Harvard and Dartmouth.

And while this is good for Penn from a standpoint of balance of power, don't expect to be able to make the championship series with 11 wins.