Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Cornell (Game 1)
Softball's Split with Cornell Keeps Ivy Lead at Two Games
April 16, 2006 | Softball
April 16, 2006
Game 1 Box | Game 2 Box
PRINCETON, N.J. - While a doubleheader sweep would have given the Princeton softball team (23-12, 9-1 Ivy) a commanding four-game lead in the Ivy League race, the Tigers had to settle for a split against Cornell (21-18, 6-2 Ivy) Sunday at Class of 1895 Field in a 6-1 win and 3-2 loss. The split makes next weekend's four games even more important as Princeton may have to win out to claim the league title.
Princeton stayed two games ahead of Cornell, three ahead of Dartmouth, four in front of Harvard and five in front of Columbia and Brown as the teams still mathematically alive in the league race. While Princeton has four games left, the rest have six left and can make up a whole game on the Tigers April 29. That margin would be consequential only if Princeton took a loss on next weekend's Harvard-Dartmouth trip.
GAME ONE
For the third straight game on the weekend, Princeton jumped out to a first-inning lead. Amanda Erickson converted singles by Stephanie Steel and Kathryn Welch, and the Tigers had a 2-0 lead. Another run came in the second inning when Samantha O'Hara's grounder couldn't be picked by shortstop Samantha Hare, allowing O'Hara to reach. Brianna Moreno, running for O'Hara, moved around the bases on the next two batters and came home on Cristina Cobb-Adams' deep foul out. Princeton went ahead 4-0 in the fourth when Beth Dalmut launched her first home run of the year over the fence in right-field, and another home run, this one by Erickson, gave Princeton a 6-0 lead in the fifth.
Meanwhile, Princeton starter Erin Snyder (12-3) had her usual command and was dominating the Big Red hitters. She struck out 15 and had allowed only two hits through the first six innings before giving up a pair of doubles in the seventh that scored Cornell's run. It was her fourth straight game with 10 or more Ks.
The win was the eighth in a row for Snyder, who extended her streak without a walk to 36 innings. Whitney Smith (4-6), Cornell's starter, worked 2 2/3, allowing five hits and earning two of Princeton's three runs during her tenure. She also had a strikeout and didn't walk a batter. Haley Mirrer worked the last 3 1/3, getting charged with three runs and three hits, striking out four without a walk. Steel, Welch, Erickson and Dalmut all had two hits in the opener while Erickson had four RBI.
GAME TWO
Princeton didn't score in the first inning for the first time on the weekend but didn't take much longer than that. Calli Jo Varner started the inning with a single and Dalmut drove home Moreno, running for Varner, three batters later to take a 1-0 lead.
But Cornell made Princeton starter Kristen Schaus (10-7) pay for a leadoff double and a walk. The Big Red spent an out sacrificing the pair into scoring position and though Schaus got a strikeout and had Erin Murtha down to her last strike, Murtha won the battle and dropped a single inside the right-field line, scoring both runs and putting Princeton behind for the first time this season at home, a span of 10 games.
The Cornell lead didn't last long, however. With Welch on second thanks to a single and Snyder reaching on a fielding error, Erickson notched another RBI by singling up the middle and tying the game. With Erickson and Snyder on and two out, O'Hara took a pitch on the arm and loaded the bases. Lindsay Motal pinch hit for Jackie Araneo and worked Cornell starter Jenn Meunier to a full count before taking strike three and leaving runners on the table in what would prove to be a game-saving strikeout for the Big Red.
Jessica Berkey played the hero role for Cornell with a two-out home run in the sixth that carried over the fence in left, putting Cornell ahead 3-2 and six defensive outs from staying within two games of the Tigers instead of falling back by four. The Tigers got a runner on in the sixth with Motal's leadoff single but couldn't convert. Welch led off the seventh with a double, but was stranded at third.
Schaus finished with six hits and a walk, earning all three Cornell runs while striking out 10 batters. Meunier allowed eight hits with a walk, earning both Princeton runs and fanning eight. Welch and Erickson each had two hits in the nightcap.
The Tigers host Seton Hall Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. before heading to New England to close the Ivy regular season Saturday and Sunday.