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Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Stetson (Game 1)
Players Mentioned
Princeton Softball Splits Two With Stetson
March 20, 2007 | Softball
DeLAND, Fla. -- Pitching dominated Princeton's first swings under the lights this season as the Tiger softball team split a doubleheader with Stetson Tuesday night in DeLand, Fla.
Princeton won the opener 2-0 behind an outstanding outing from Kristen Schaus, but the Tigers went down swinging 4-1 in game two. The split keeps Princeton's record at .500 at 8-8, while Stetson moved to 19-8.
Game 1: Princeton 2, Stetson 0
In game one, each team let precious few scoring chances slip before the Tigers took advantage of a Stetson error early in the sixth inning. Larkin Brogan led off the frame with a grounder that bounced off the glove and through the legs of Stetson shortstop Megan Voeller as Brogan reached safely.
After Stephanie Steel and Brianna Moreno moved Brogan to third with sacrifices, Kathryn Welch lined a bouncer up the middle that hopped off Voeller's glove but was ruled a hit thanks to a bad hop in front of the fielder. Brogan reached home to break the scoreless tie.
The next batter, Calli Jo Varner, crushed a double to centerfield and Welch hustled home just ahead of the throw to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead.
Just one inning earlier, Princeton's Kelsey Quist led off the fifth with a double and got to third on a sacrifice, but a groundout to the left side and an amazing catch by centerfielder Amy Joyce on a ball hit by Jackie Araneo stranded Quist.
Schaus (4-5) stranded three runners in scoring position through the first four innings before getting out of a major jam in the fifth. The Hatters took advantage of a single, error and walk to load the bases with one out. The Tigers got a force at home and a 6-3 groundout to keep Stetson off the board.
Schaus struck out seven and allowed three hits and four walks in her first shutout win of the season. The performance was especially impressive considering Schaus limited Stetson's three top hitters coming into the game -- Sherrel Fountain (.377), Andrea Migliori (.375) and Blythe Golden (.327) -- to a 1 for 9 twinbill opener.
Stetson pitcher Heather Colding (6-5) gave up six hits without a walk, striking out two. Both runs were unearned due to the error. Six players split Princeton's hits. The loss was only Stetson's 32nd in 166 games at the Hatters' five-year-old field.
Game Two: Stetson 4, Princeton 1
Stetson pitchers Amanda Lindsey and Erica Demers combined for 15 strikeouts in the nightcap, a season high for a Tiger team that struck out only twice in the opening game against the Hatters. Princeton's previous high on the young season was nine against Louisville on March 11.
Princeton took advantage of another Stetson fielding mistake to score first in the opening frame. Steel supplied a leadoff single and, two batters later, Welch reached when Stetson pitcher Lindsey fumbled Welch's grounder and compounded the miscue when her throw to first hit Welch in the back. That allowed Steel to reach third, and the senior scored on a wild pitch.
But Stetson tied the game in the third when Migliori cashed in Fountain's \leadoff single with a crushed double to left. Lindsey left the game after the third despite getting eight of nine outs via strikeout and allowing three hits without a walk.
Stetson went ahead 2-1 in the fourth when Blythe Golden cashed in a Katie Lawrence leadoff double with a sacrifice fly, and Migliori pushed the lead to 4-1 in the fifth when she homered to left, driving in a walk to Nicole Forbes.
Tiger rookie starter Jamie Lettire (2-1), in just her fifth appearance overall and coming off a win in her first start against Buffalo Saturday, threw five innings, allowing six hits and three walks while earning the four runs. She struck out two.
Varner threw the sixth for Princeton, allowing a hit and a walk.
Demers (7-2) picked up the relief win, allowing only one hit and no walks in four shutout innings of work, striking out seven.
The Tigers will have another doubleheader tomorrow back in Tampa, Fla., at 4 p.m. against South Florida.