Princeton University
Central Connecticut State
Players Mentioned
Lettire Earns Win in Collegiate Debut as Softball Rallies over CCSU, 3-1
March 09, 2007 | Softball
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- Princeton's softball team scored the last three runs of the Maryland Invitational opener Friday morning and knocked off Central Connecticut State, 3-1.
The Tigers improved to 3-2 on the season with the win and have won three straight before heading into a Friday afternoon contest with Louisville (6-8) at 2 p.m.
Freshman Jamie Lettire (1-0) made her collegiate debut in the circle and picked up the win in relief, throwing the last three innings and allowing one hit while striking out two. She retired the last seven Blue Devils she faced after entering the game in the top of the fifth in a 1-1 tie.
"She did a great job," Princeton head coach Maureen Barron said. "As a freshman in her first college appearance, as a California girl in the cold weather, she had the ball spinning well."
Princeton's starter, senior Calli Jo Varner, allowed two hits and two walks in four innings. A leadoff home run in the second inning by Sara Budrick put CCSU (1-4) ahead 1-0, and Varner got out of a bases-loaded jam in the fourth to hold the Blue Devils to one run.
CCSU starter Brittany Salvatore (0-2) breezed through the first two innings before getting into trouble in the third. Back-to-back singles to Princeton's eighth and ninth hitters, Larkin Brogan and Brianna Moreno, got the inning started before rookie Collette Abbott drove home Brogan to tie the game.
Two innings later, the Tigers got to Salvatore again, with Moreno leading off with a single and Stephanie Steel driving her home with a double to put Princeton ahead.
"It was slow starting," Barron said of the team's offense. "We talked about seeing all different types of pitchers and being disciplined whether the ball is coming in fast or slow, hitting it in the zone."
Salvatore left after that point, allowing three runs, all earned, on six hits and a walk, striking out three. Rachel Brenneman entered the circle for CCSU, but allowed singles to Abbott and Beth Dalmut, the first of which drove home Princeton's final run.
Steel saw her streak of consecutive plate appearances without a strikeout end in the top of the seventh when Brenneman got Steel looking. The senior centerfielder had 72 plate appearances without a strikeout, dating back to April 22 of last season.