Princeton University Athletics
South Carolina's Seventh-Inning Homer Hands Princeton First Loss In NCAA Regionals
May 15, 2003 | Softball
May 15, 2003
Box Score
TUCSON, A.Z. - Melissa Finley and Kristin Lueke each went 3 for 4 with two runs apiece but five Princeton errors and a three-run homer by the Gamecocks in the bottom of the seventh cost Princeton an 8-7 loss to No. 2 seed South Carolina. The Tigers led 7-2 before giving up six runs, including Megan Corbett's game-winning homer, to drop their first round game of the NCAA regional tournament at the University of Arizona's Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium.
"Great teams know how to win," Finley said of Carolina's seventh-inning comeback.
Carolina took advantage of a fielding error in the seventh, which was something the Gamecocks did not do throughout the first six.
"We were fortunate in the last inning that there was a mistake," South Carolina head coach Joyce Compton said. "We needed everything we could muster for this win." In the first inning, lead-off batter Lueke showed no fear at the plate against Melanie Henkes (17-5), as she swung at the second pitch of the game and got on first with her trademark slap hit. Wendy Bingham then grounded out but advanced Lueke, who eventually scored when Finley, the Ivy League Player of the Year, singled with a grounder into the outfield. The Tigers led 1-0 after the first half inning.
But South Carolina's Jodi Fittro hit a solo homer out of leftfield to open the Gamecock's first at-bat and tie the game immediately at 1-1. Snyder caught the second batter swinging and walked the third to face Danielle Quinones, the All-SEC first team third baseman. Debralee Troesh stole second on a wild pitch and advanced to third when Quinones reached first on an error by Lueke. A single by Amber Curtis and an error on the throw from right field let Troesh score and put runners on second and third. Snyder struck out the next two Gamecocks to finish the first inning down by just one run.
In the second inning, Snyder reached first on an error at the base, Cristina Cobb-Adams singled up the middle, and Ty Ries grounded out to put runners on second and third. With two outs against the Tigers, Erin Valocsik and Lueke hit back-to-back singles that each drove home one run. Lueke's second hit of the day, a grounder past first baseman Meghan Cornett, scored Cobb-Adams, gave Princeton a 3-2 lead and forced the Gamecocks to enter a relief pitcher, Aleca Johnson, for Henkes.
Snyder recorded one strikeout and allowed no hits to keep the 3-2 advantage for the Tigers after two.
Finley opened the third with her second hit of the day before Kristin Del Calvo launched a two-run homer out of the field and off the scoreboard in right centerfield. Del Calvo's fourth home run of the year put Princeton ahead, 5-2, with no outs in the third. Johnson then walked Erickson and gave up a base hit to Snyder but rebounded to strike out two.
The Tigers held South Carolina scoreless for the next three innings but earned no hits or runs in the fourth and fifth, to keep their lead at 5-2.
In the bottom of the fifth, Fittro reached first on Princeton's fourth error of the day and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Nancy Crane. Troesh doubled to right field to put runners on second and third before Quinones walked and loaded the bases with one out against Carolina. After Curtis flied out to Lueke, Snyder struck out Ashley Smith to leave three Gamecocks on base and carry a 5-2 Princeton lead into the sixth.
The Tigers improved their lead in the seventh when Finley hit a two-run homer, her 14th of the year, to score Lueke, who reached first with her third hit of the day. Princeton led 7-2 as it entered the bottom of the seventh.
Fittro led off with a double into right centerfield and Crane followed that with a base hit that advanced Fittro to third. Troesh reached first on a fielder's choice that put Fittro out at third and left two runners on base. Quinones then hit a three-run shot out of left centerfield to bring the Gamecocks within two runs and with Smith, the game-tying run, at the plate with one out. Smith singled up the middle before Cornett hit the game-winning homer, just her fourth home run of the year.
"We played a sound game in innings one through six, but we didn't in the seventh," Finley said. "They never gave up."
Head coach Maureen Davies Barron agreed that the Tigers didn't play a complete game. "We hit the ball well but didn't play solid defense."
Cornett and the Gamecocks, who have played in 13 NCAA tournaments, know they cannot afford to let up in the postseason.
"In the NCAAs, everyone steps it up," Corbett said.
"Anybody can beat anybody on any given day and seedings don't matter," Compton said. "We had to earn everything today."
The Tigers (24-20-1) face No. 6 seed Boston College (33-21) tomorrow, May 16 at 9 a.m. at Hillenbrand. The Eagles lost their first game to No. 3 seed Texas A&M, 8-4, on Friday afternoon. Jacqui Goodchild led Boston with a 2-for-4 day and two RBIs while pitchers Tekae Malandris and Kim Ryan each struck out two in three innings.
Princeton and BC have seven common opponents on their schedules, including South Carolina who the Eagles defeated 3-2 in February. Both teams were swept by Georgia Tech and Rutgers, defeated Monmouth, and had mixed results against Villanova. Boston swept Harvard, 7-0 and 3-2, while the Tigers dropped two games to their Ivy League rival, 3-2 and 6-5.
If Princeton defeats Boston, it will play the loser of Minnesota vs. Arizona at 7 p.m. on Friday night. The Tigers will be eliminated from the NCAA tournament if they lose to Boston.