Princeton University Athletics
Softball Splits Doubleheader with Harvard
April 07, 2001 | Softball
April 7, 2001
PRINCETON, N.J. - Princeton's softball team defeated Harvard University in the first game of today's doubleheader, 1-0 and lost the second, 6-5. For both Princeton and Harvard, today's matches were the first Ivy League games of the season. Princeton will host a doubleheader tomorrow with Dartmouth and Harvard will travel to Penn for two games.
Harvard struck first blood in the game when, in the second inning, Sarah Koppel belted her first of three homeruns of the day over the left-center field wall. Koppel's run would be the only score of the game for Harvard. For Princeton's Brie Galicinao, it was her first earned run she had given up in four games.
Galicinao, coming off a two hit shut out against Temple University, allowed only five hits in today's first match against Harvard. Galicinao, who also leads the Tigers in batting, hitting, .348 on the season, scored the first Princeton run when she put a ball over the right field fence for her third homerun of the season. The Tigers won the game in the bottom of the seventh inning. With one out on the board, junior shortstop, Kim Veenstra hit a line drive into centerfield field for a double. The designated player, sophomore, Anna Soper moved Venstraa to third with a single. Senior, Devon Keefe, the Tigers' catcher, picked up the game winning RBI when she batted Veenstra in with a single into left field.
The Tigers, for the mean time improved their record to 8-6 while Galicinao's record stood at 4-4. Galicinao returned to pitch in the second game and picked up the loss.
The second game of the day started much like the first, Harvard jumped to a 3-0 start in the first inning. The first batter of the game, Harvard's pitcher Tiffany Whitton smacked a homerun over the right-centerfield fence. Another Harvard batter, the DP, Mairead McKendry reached first with on a single. Koppel, now playing in right field, hit her second homerun of the day over the centerfield wall and drove in McKendry.
The Tigers fought back in the first and second innings, taking the lead, 4-1. Princeton's third baseman, Lauren Poniatowski scored the Tiger' first run of the game when Galicinao drove her in with a triple hit down the right field line. Princeton scored three runs in the second inning when Lori Volker hit in Keefe who had reached first on a walk. Poniatowski picked up two RBIs when she hit a double into centerfield scoring freshman, Christen Del Calvo and Volker. The Tigers added one more run in the third inning to take the lead 5-3.
Harvard battled back in the fifth inning to tie the game at five apiece. Harvard took the lead in the seventh inning when Koppel ripped her third homerun of the day over the right field fence. The Tigers were unable to answer in the bottom of the inning and lost the game 6-5.
Sarah Jane White started the second game on the mound for the Tigers and left the game at the end of the second after giving up three runs and five hits. Galicinao entered the game at the top of the third and allowed three runs ion four hits.
Princeton will host Dartmouth tomorrow, the first game of the double header is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.