Princeton University Athletics
Softball Loses 20-Inning War At Harvard; Drops Second Game 3-0
April 10, 2004 | Softball
April 10, 2004
Cambridge, Mass. - Erin Snyder struck out 13 batters and allowed no earned runs but, after 19 innings of scoreless softball, Harvard edged Princeton with two runs in the bottom of the 20th for a 2-1 comeback win at Soldiers Field. The Crimson went on the win the second game 3-0 despite Kristin Del Calvo's 2 for 2 performance at the plate.
Princeton falls to 16-13 overall and 3-3 in the Ivy League behind Harvard, which is now 14-12-1 overall and 4-0 in the conference. The Crimson also swept the Tigers last year when Princeton won the league title.
In the four-hour first game, Princeton and Harvard stranded a combined 29 runners before putting a run on the board. The Tigers struck first with one run off two hits in the top of the 20th. Ty Ries singled up the middle before Kristin Lueke reached on a fielder's choice that put Ries out at second. Lueke stole second, advanced to third when Wendy Bingham walked, and scored off a Stephanie Steel double to center field. The Crimson tied the game in the bottom of the 20th when Lauren Stefanchik reached on an error, stole second and scored on a Virginia Fristch single to right field. Erin Halpenny drove in the second run with a single to left field for the 2-1 walk-off win.
Princeton finished with 15 hits to Harvard's 10 but committed four errors compared to two by the Crimson. Lueke finished 3 for 9 while Snyder pitched all 20 innings for the loss, dropping her to 7-7 on the mound this season.
Kara Brotemarkle (6-7) earned the win with nine strikeouts for Harvard.
The Crimson picked up the second game where it left off in the first, wasting no time to score off Melissa Finley. In the first inning, Julia Kidder walked, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, moved to third on a Cecily Gordon single to center field, and scored off Fritsch's single up the middle.
After holding the Tigers in the top of the second, Harvard pulled ahead 3-0 with two runs off two hits and two errors in the bottom of the inning. Sara Williamson scored an unearned run off an error at home before Fritsch reached first on an error in left field, which sent home Rachel Goldberg, who reached on a fielder's choice.
Princeton managed just two hits off Lauren Bettinelli (7-4) but only had two strikeouts and one walk. Both hits came from Del Calvo, who singled twice.
Finley struck out six batters in the loss for Princeton and dropped to 3-5 on the mound this season.
The Tigers look to break their three-game losing skid in a non-conference doubleheader at Towson this Wednesday, April 14 at 3 p.m.