Princeton University Athletics
Princeton Softball Splits Twinbill at St. Mary's
March 21, 2006 | Softball
March 21, 2006
Game 1 Box | Game 2 Box
MORAGA, Calif. - A minor earthquake rolled through the eastern San Francisco Bay area on Tuesday afternoon, softly swaying Cottrell Field at St. Mary's College in Moraga, Calif. But the Tigers were too busy to notice, rocking the picturesque field with their bats as the timid temblor came at the end of a five-run third inning that propelled the Princeton softball team (7-4) to a 7-3 win in the first game of a doubleheader. St. Mary's (4-20), however, won the second game, 6-1, snapping Princeton's six-game winning streak and handing the Tigers their first loss in California after five wins.
--GAME ONE--
After a swinging single to SMC's Bronwyn Russell that dropped just in front of home plate to lead off the game, senior righthander Erin Snyder (2-1) retired the next four batters before counterpart Chelsea Loftis lined a single to left one out into the second inning. She crossed the diamond on a pair of pitches that didn't find the glove pocket of Tiger catcher Samantha O'Hara and came home on a ball hit by Sandra Ruezga that eluded the leap of Princeton senior shortstop Cristina Cobb-Adams and skidded into left-center for a 1-0 St. Mary's lead. For the first time on the California trip, the Tigers were behind on the scoreboard.
Princeton was connecting in the early frames but wasn't finding open patches in the SMC defense. That changed when, following a pair of walks to lead off the third, Cobb-Adams lined a single through the left side and loaded the bases. After a force-out at home, Ivy Rookie of the Week Kathryn Welch singled to tie the game. Senior Amanda Erickson followed and slammed a bases-clearing double to the wall in centerfield, putting the Tigers up 4-1, still with two out. The next batter, Snyder, took advantage of an error when SMC leftfielder Marcia-Marie Euker caught up with the fly ball but saw it bounce out of her glove. Erickson scored from second, running with two out, and Princeton didn't let its first deficit of the trip last long, turning a 1-0 shortfall into a 5-1 lead. The big inning chased Loftis (1-6) from the game after allowing five runs, four earned, with three hits, two walks and a strikeout in three innings. Marlena Green threw the next two innings and gave up five hits and two runs, earning one. Kate Albaugh entered for SMC in the sixth, allowing three hits while holding Princeton scoreless over the last two innings.
In the fourth, Princeton's lead became 6-1 when, after the first three Tiger runners reached, Cobb-Adams grounded out, scoring sophomore Lauren Bierman. The lead went to 7-1 in the fifth when rookie Jackie Araneo cashed Erickson in with a two-out single.
Snyder scattered five hits without a walk and struck out four while earning a run in her first four innings. She gave way to Calli Jo Varner in the bottom of the fifth, but Varner gave up two hits to start the inning, scoring a run for SMC, and Snyder returned. A two-out single by SMC's Michelle Mathis dropped in front of the plate and the second hit charged to Varner scored, bringing the Gaels to within 7-3. Snyder was near perfect in her second stint, retiring six of the seven batters she faced with three strikeouts and a walk.
Offensively, Brianna Moreno, Erickson and Araneo each had two hits while Erickson had a game-high three RBI. Loftis and Ruezga each had two hits for SMC.
--GAME TWO--
Cobb-Adams led off the nightcap with a first-inning single and after another base hit from Welch, the senior scored when Erickson reached on a fielder's choice. But just as with the Gaels' lead in the first game, Princeton's advantage was short lived as SMC's Lauren Mello tied it with a two-out, first-pitch shot over the left-field fence in the bottom of the inning. It was only the fifth home run given up by the staff in the 69th inning of the season and second by Ivy Pitcher of the Week Kristen Schaus (3-2) in her 33rd inning.
With two down in the second, Cobb-Adams drove a single up the middle and Larkin Brogan tried to score from second. But Brogan was cut down at the plate as the ball beat the rookie catcher by a few feet on a strong throw from centerfield, ending the inning. It proved to be an important potential run as SMC's Euker nearly gave the Gaels a home run in back-to-back innings, hitting the top of the left-field fence and scoring Eleni Papailias from first for a 2-1 lead. Justine Larsen followed with another single, scoring Papailias for a 3-1 edge.
In the bottom of the third, Schaus got into trouble with three walks, the last two of which came with two outs. With a 3-2 count and the Gaels one pitch away from taking a 4-1 lead, Schaus got Euker to swing and miss, escaping the jam. Princeton tried to get a rally going in the top of the fourth with runners on first and second and one out, but a spectacular catch sent Princeton back to the dugout empty-handed. Cobb-Adams, bidding for her third hit of the game, pounded the ball to right field where Shelly Taketa laid out for a diving grab. She then doubled Moreno off first as the Tiger runner was sure, as was perhaps everyone watching but Taketa, that the ball would fall.
SMC tacked on two more runs in the fifth. With runners on the corners and one out, Papailias placed a bunt in perfect position for Taketa to slide home ahead of the throw from Schaus for a 4-1 lead. After a walk that loaded the bases with two down, Russell lined a single to center that moved everyone up a station and St. Mary's had a 5-1 lead. Taketa did more damage in the sixth, sending a one-out double to the wall in centerfield and scoring Lauren Mello from first.
The teams combined to leave 23 runners on base. Princeton left 13 runners on, seven in scoring position. Schaus allowed nine hits and earned four of the six SMC runs, striking out 10 with six walks.
Megan Galloway (1-7) picked up her first win, allowing 10 hits with six walks and one strikeout, earning the Princeton run. Cobb-Adams, Snyder, Brogan and Moreno each had two hits for Princeton while Larsen, Taketa and Papailias each had two hits for St. Mary's.
The Tigers travel back to Sacramento for a 1 p.m. doubleheader Wednesday at Sacramento State before an off day Thursday. Princeton will play in the Stanford Invitational Friday through Sunday.