Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Boston College (NCAA Regional)
Boston College Eliminates Princeton From NCAA Softball Regionals
May 16, 2003 | Softball
May 16, 2003
Box Score
TUCSON, A.Z. - Boston College's Michelle Daly pitched a complete game shutout and the Eagles went 12 for 30 at the plate to eliminate Princeton, 6-0, from the NCAA tournament at Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium at the University of Arizona.
"It just wasn't our day," Princeton head coach Maureen Barron said. "We had a disappointing loss last night despite great offense, and we didn't bring that same offensive game with us today."
Princeton began the game on defense, where it struggled with five errors yesterday. The Tigers got two quick outs before Erin Snyder walked Cara Blumfield and gave up back-to-back base hits. Lisa Fischer and Erin Mackey each singled past Cristina Cobb-Adams and drove home Blumfield but Snyder struck out the next batter to strand two on base. After Boston pitcher Michelle Daly retired the first three Tigers, the Eagles led 1-0 after one. Snyder struck out the first batter in the second but Kimmy Hopkin grounded up the middle and scored when designated hitter Elena Ferrero hit a fly double into centerfield. Jacqui Goodchild and Jennifer Asbury then both singled to second base, advancing Hopkin and Ferraro to home and lifting Boston's lead to 3-0.
Blumfield singled to leftfield and reached second on the throw to home, where Ty Ries tagged Goodchild out at the plate. With two outs and runners on second and third, Cobb-Adams caught a fly to shortstop and limited the Eagles' damage to two runs off five hits.
In the third, Finley relieved Snyder and walked Mackey, the first batter, before Elyse Meredith and Hopkin loaded the bases with back-to-back infield singles. Ferrero hit a sacrifice fly that scored Mackey but Meredith was tagged out at second to end the inning with Boston ahead, 4-0.
The Tigers continued to falter offensively as they earned just one hit and no runs in the second and third innings.
Goodchild led off the fourth with a base hit and Jennifer Asbury then got on base with an error on Finley's throw to first. Goodchild scored and Asbury reached third before the end of the inning, as poor defense threatened to bury the Tigers again.
Down 5-0, Amanda Erickson and Snyder began the bottom of the fourth with consecutive base hits but were stranded when the Eagles earned three straight outs.
Finley and the Tigers held Boston hitless and scoreless in the top of the fifth before Lueke and Bingham sparked Princeton with back-to-back singles in the bottom of the inning. But once again, the Eagles stepped up defensively to end the fifth with two Tigers left on base.
After a quick scoreless sixth, and with two outs in the top of the seventh, Mackey singled and Amy Swiderski drove home a run with a shot into leftfield that put her on second. Boston held the Tigers scoreless again in the bottom of the seventh to finish the game with the 6-0 shutout.
"Although this was a disappointing end, its also a sign for a promising future," said Lueke, who finished 2 for 4. "Seeing that we could play with a team like South Carolina and that we're a young team says a lot about where we'll be next year."
The Tigers end their season at 24-21-1 overall and 11-3 in the Ivy League. The sole Ivy title helped Princeton reach the NCAA regionals for the fifth time in the sport's history and leave Tucson with a 7-10 all-time record in the tournament.
"We made great strides from last year's performance at regionals," Barron said. "We were thrilled to be here and hope to make a better showing next year."