Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
North Carolina State (NCAA Regional)
First-Inning Home Run Stands as N.C. State Eliminates Princeton Softball
May 20, 2006 | Softball
May 20, 2006
Box Score
BATON ROUGE, La. - Outside of one pitch, Erin Snyder threw an outstanding game against North Carolina State (50-20) at the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional. Unfortunately for her and her Princeton softball teammates, that one pitch turned out to be the difference as Jennifer Chamberlain's first-inning home run stood up in a 1-0 Wolfpack win. The loss ends the season for Princeton, which won its 16th Ivy title and made its seventh NCAA tournament appearance, finishing with a record of 34-19.
Snyder (17-7) struck out 12 as the home run was one of just three hits she allowed, adding one walk for just her eighth pass of the year. Snyder ends her career as the all-time Princeton strikeout leader with 819 and established a new single-season strikeout record with 258.
The Wolfpack threatened to score again in the fourth. Shanna Smith reached when Princeton third baseman Jackie Araneo couldn't pick Smith's grounder leading off the inning and moved around on the next two batters. But Araneo turned around to save the inning when Abbie Sims grounded down the third-base line and the rookie made a fine throw across just ahead of Sims to end the frame.
Princeton got one runner on through the first three innings only to have her erased by a double play. Stephanie Steel led off the fourth by extending her hitting streak to 15 games with a soft fly to center that just dropped in, but the next three batters weren't able to take advantage of the opportunity and N.C. State kept its slim lead. The Tigers got a runner on with one out in the fifth when Snyder sent a dribbler to Chamberlain's left at third, but the Wolfpack fielder couldn't make the play and Snyder reached. After a groundout, Calli Jo Varner worked N.C. State starter Shaina Ervin for a walk on a 15-pitch at-bat to put two runners on. But another groundout ended the frame and the Wolfpack hung on yet again.
N.C. State didn't get its next hit until the top of the sixth when Heather Gelbard singled off a diving Araneo trying to make the play. Smith made the Tiger faithful hold their collective breath with a long flyout to center that Steel ran down near the fence 220 feet away for the second out, and Miranda Ervin sent a sharp liner ticketed for extra bases that Araneo handled deftly to escape the inning just one run behind.
Steel took advantage of a fielding error by N.C. State second baseman Tess Corona on a grounder to put a runner at second and none out in the sixth. Corona was unable to field the ball but probably would have had Steel anyway had she not thrown wide of first, allowing Steel to go to second. Cristina Cobb-Adams followed with a nicely placed bunt and beat the throw, moving Steel to third, still with none out. Princeton came up empty in the inning, however, after Kathryn Welch tried unsuccessfully to get Steel home on a squeeze bunt, Steel instead being tagged out at home. Amanda Erickson hit a ball to left that looked like it would land in for a hit, but left-fielder Megan Dalthorp made a shoestring catch and doubled Cobb-Adams off second to end the frame.
Another Wolfpack error gave Princeton life in the third. Beth Dalmut grounded to short to start the inning and Lisa Nentwig looked to have Dalmut out at first, but Nentwig dropped the ball and Dalmut was safe. Snyder sent a solid liner to left-center for a single, and Princeton had first and second with none out. Araneo successfully sacrificed both ahead a base, and Varner walked to load the bases with one out. But the threat was snuffed when Samantha O'Hara bounced one to Shaina Ervin in the circle, who threw home and then down to first to end the game.
Ervin (20-3) allowed four hits with two walks, striking out six in the shutout.