Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Minnesota (Capital Classic Tournament)
Varner's Sixth-Inning Home Run Leads Softball to 3-2 Win over Minnesota
March 17, 2006 | Softball
March 17, 2006
Box Score
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Calli Jo Varner hit a sixth-inning home run that broke a 2-2 tie and helped the Princeton softball team (3-3) to a 3-2 win over Minnesota (10-12) on Friday evening. The contest opened Princeton's participation in the Capital Classic hosted by Sacramento State at the Sacramento Softball Complex.
The win was just Princeton's third in 22 tries over Big Ten schools all-time and first since 1995. Ohio State (1995) and Michigan State (1991) are the other Big Ten notches on the Orange and Black's belt, while Penn State has handed Princeton 13 of those losses over the years.
With runners on first and second thanks to back-to-back walks, sophomore Lauren Bierman drove a two-out single up the middle in the second inning that cashed in Tiffany Andras from second for a 1-0 Tiger lead. Rookie Kathryn Welch gave Princeton a 2-0 lead with an arcing shot over the left-field fence in the fifth inning for her first career home run. Welch finished the day 3 for 3 at the plate.
Minnesota tied the game in the top of the sixth with back-to-back two-out RBI doubles. The first came when Megan Higginbotham made the Tigers pay for a fielding error two batters earlier. Colleen Conway reached on a dropped throw at first base and Higginbotham dropped a double into right that eluded a diving attempt by Andras. Valerie Alston tied the game with another double to right, scoring Higginbotham. With the first two batters in the bottom of the sixth popping out for Princeton, Varner hit a high fly to straight-away center that dropped just beyond the fence for her first home run of the season.
Minnesota never had a runner get past first base until that productive sixth, getting just one walk, a dropped third strike and the fielding error in addition to the four hits from Schaus (2-1), who struck out six. Gopher starter Briana Hassett was lifted following Welch's home run after giving up five hits, three walks and two runs, both earned, with five strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings. Her replacement, Mandy Valadez (0-1), gave up just one hit in 1 1/3 innings, but that lone blemish was the Varner home run that decided the contest.
The Tigers were due to play two games on Friday, but the first game against Utah State was cancelled so field crews could repair the playing surfaces from Thursday's rain. Princeton resumes its regular schedule on Saturday with a 12:30 p.m. PT contest against Miami University and a 5:30 p.m. PT game against Southern Utah.