Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Rhode Island
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Tigers Blast Four Homers in Run-Rule Win over Rhode Island
March 10, 2007 | Softball
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- Three Tigers homered against Rhode Island (1-6) at the Maryland Invitational Saturday morning as Princeton (4-3) run-ruled the Rams for the second time in as many weekends in a 9-0 win.
Freshman Jamie Lettire homered twice and went 3 for 3 with a walk and four RBIs as Brianna Moreno and Kelsey Quist also had two hits apiece.
All five Princeton home runs this year have come against Rhode Island. Four of those have been hit by freshmen, with Quist and Lettire joining Collette Abbott's round-tripper last weekend.
"It was a great overall team effort," Princeton head coach Maureen Barron said. "Calli (Varner) did a nice job on the mound and we gave her run support, which helps with confidence. It was nice to see the freshmen swinging aggressively and we played a clean game in the field."
Quist blasted a two-out home run in the top of the first to follow an Abbott single, giving the Tigers a 2-0 lead. The next inning, Lettire hammered the first pitch she saw over the fence in left-center, and the Tigers were up 3-0.
Princeton sent eight hitters to the plate in the third as Quist led off with a walk and Calli Jo Varner, the Tigers' starting pitcher, snuck one just inside the left-field foul pole to put Princeton ahead 5-0.
Later in the inning, Princeton loaded the bases on a single, walk and unsuccessful fielders' choice, and Stephanie Steel brought home Lettire on a sacrifice fly to move the lead to 6-0.
Princeton added another run in the fourth inning to move within one run of the five-inning run rule. Three Tigers singled in the frame as Lettire brought home Quist with a two-out base hit for the 7-0 lead.
Two innings later, Lettire knocked her second home run, this one bouncing off the top of the fence in straightaway centerfield as she cashed in a leadoff walk to Ellen Scott to give Princeton a 9-0 advantage and move within three outs of the run rule.
Varner (2-1) allowed three hits and three walks in six shutout innings while fanning Ram batters nine times.
The Tigers tagged two Rhode Island pitchers in the outburst of offense. Katie Halcomb (1-3) was charged with five runs, all earned, on seven hits and a walk, striking out one in just two innings. She was lifted in the third after facing two batters. MaryBeth Ball worked the last four innings, allowing four runs, three earned, on six hits and two walks with two strikeouts.
Princeton will face host Maryland at 1 p.m. and will have one more game Sunday with the time and opponent still to be determined based on Saturday's games.