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Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Harvard
Harvard Sweeps Princeton Softball
April 27, 2003 | Softball
April 27, 2003
Box Score
PRINCETON, N.J. - Erin Snyder totalled 16 strikeouts and just one walk in 17 innings of an Ivy League doubleheader as Princeton surrendered both games to Harvard, 3-2 and 6-5, at 1895 Field.
Catcher Ty Ries sparked Princeton's offense in the bottom of the fifth when she doubled to right field. The Crimson then committed two consecutive errors that let Erin Valocsik and Kristin Lueke get on base, and scored Ries for a 1-0 Princeton lead. Melissa Finley walked with two outs and the bases loaded, which scored Valocsik and gave Princeton the 2-0 edge at the end of the fifth. Harvard immediately tied the score in the sixth when it scored two unearned runs on two hits and a Princeton error. Cara Woodard singled and Lauren Stefanchik reached on an error before Sara Williamson's double scored them both. The 2-2 tie remained until the 12th inning.
Freshman catcher Erin Halpenny doubled to centerfield in the top of the 12th, Pilar Adams walked, and Woodard reached on an error at second base. With the bases loaded and two outs against the Crimson, Lauren Stefanchik singled to right field and brought home one run. The Tigers were unable to respond in their final opportunity at bat, and dropped the first game, 3-2.
In Game 2, Princeton took the first lead once again. Lueke singled down the first baseline to lead off the first inning, and advanced to second and third on the next two ground-outs. Finley then singled to third base and scored Lueke for the quick 1-0 Princeton edge.
The Tigers held Harvard scoreless for four innings until the Crimson exploded for four runs in the fifth. After Woodard's double to right field scored Halpenny, who reached base with a single, junior shortstop Rachel Goldberg hit a three-run homer that gave Harvard a 4-1 lead.
Princeton matched that in the bottom of the fifth when Melissa Finley hit a three-run dinger of her own. Her shot over the right field fence scored Bingham and Cobb-Adams, who each reached base with singles. Once again, the Tigers went into extra innings with the game tied at 4-4.
Harvard sealed the game in the top of the tenth with another home run, this time by Tiffany Whitton. Her homer scored Woodard, who doubled to centerfield, and put the Crimson ahead 6-4 with one last chance for Princeton.
Erickson kept the Tigers alive with a solo homer to lead off the bottom of the 10th and Nicole Davida provided a spark when she doubled to centerfield with two strikes and two outs against her. But closing pitcher Laura Bettinelli earned the win for Harvard when she caught Lueke swinging. The Crimson took Game 2, 6-5.
Princeton dropped to 10-3 in the Ivy League but had enough of a lead in the Ivy race before this weekend to remain at the top of the standings. Since Cornell is now 10-4 and Princeton has an incomplete league game on its schedule, the Tigers must travel to Brown to finish their game from April 12 that was called in the ninth inning.
The game will resume where it left off, with Princeton up 8-5 in the ninth. If Princeton wins, it clinches sole possession of the Ivy League title. If it loses, Princeton and Cornell will share the title and must play a best of three series to determine the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. The game against Brown has not yet been scheduled.