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Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Fairfield
Players Mentioned
Softball Tops Fairfield, 3-2, with Seventh-Inning Run
March 04, 2007 | Softball
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Princeton's bats were the picture of timely hitting and little else Sunday morning at the University of North Carolina's Tar Heel Invitational. The Tigers squeezed out a 3-2 win over Fairfield (1-4) to finish the tournament and the season's first weekend at 2-2.
"We weren't as disciplined at the plate early in the game," head coach Maureen Barron said. "As the game went on, we became more disciplined."
Both of Princeton's losses came to teams that had played prior weekends this season in Marshall and Liberty. Both of Princeton's wins came against fellow first-weekend teams in Fairfield and Rhode Island.
Princeton starter Kristen Schaus (1-1) survived a Fairfield runner with one out at third base in the second inning thanks to a fine snare at shortstop by Jackie Araneo and a timely strikeout, but the Stags didn't let the same opportunity slip in the third.
A one-out passed ball moved Fairfield's Julia Jacoby, who had walked, from second to third and Riannon Thomas dropped a short single into left field to score Jacoby for the game's first run.
Meanwhile, the Tiger bats that had led the team to a .376 average through its first three games went silent early. Princeton got three runners to first base through the first four innings, but none reached second as Fairfield starter Cagney Rignalda retired 10 of the first 13 Tigers she faced.
Princeton came through in the fifth. Kelsey Quist singled with one out, and two batters later, Kathryn Welch doubled to the wall in right-center. Quist scored ahead of the throw to tie the game, allowing Welch to move to third in the process, and Welch came home when the throw bounced off Quist and rolled to the backstop. That put Princeton ahead 2-1.
But Fairfield wouldn't be down for long. Schaus allowed Fairfield a pair of costly two-out doubles as Kristie Trifiolis scored Jacoby to tie the game at 2-2.
Following a scoreless sixth inning, Quist started things again, lacing a double to right-center. Beth Dalmut picked her up with a single up the middle, and Quist raced home to take the lead.
That left Schaus to finish the last of the seventh, which wasn't without tense moments. With two outs, Jacoby came through with a single and Schaus followed with a walk to Trifiolis. The next batter, Thomas, grounded to Collette Abbott at third. Abbott didn't field it cleanly, but threw to Dalmut at first just in time to get the out.
Schaus finished with two runs, one earned, on six hits, three walks and five strikeouts. She had 26 strikeouts in 18 innings this weekend and was the lone Tiger named to the 10-person all-tournament team from the eight-team tournament.
Ringnalda (1-3) finished with three runs, all earned, on seven hits with five strikeouts and a walk.
Quist led Princeton at the plate, going 2 for 3, while Jacoby and Thomas each had two hits for Fairfield.
Another bright spot for the Tigers on the weekend were the immediate contributions of freshmen Abbott and Quist, who were a combined 11 for 25 (.440) with five RBI and a home run from Abbott.
"It's great to see," Barron said. "Our expectations of them were that they had the potential to be great hitters with power, coming from winning traditions."
Princeton will resume its 2007 campaign next Friday morning at another Atlantic Coast Conference school, Maryland. The Tigers' schedule in Maryland had been switched since the season schedule's initial release. Princeton will start with Central Connecticut State Friday at 10 a.m. with games against Louisville, Maryland and Rhode Island to follow.