Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Columbia (Game 1)
Players Mentioned
Softball Tigers Win, Lose on Late Rallies at Columbia
April 14, 2007 | Softball
NEW YORK -- Princeton and Columbia needed every at-bat to decide the Tigers' opening two games of Ivy South play Saturday in Manhattan. The Lions used a walkoff home run to win the first game 2-1 and Princeton scored three in the eighth to win 6-3 in game two.
The split moved Princeton to 7-3 in the Ivy League and 17-22 overall. Columbia moved to 16-18 overall and 6-8 in Ivy play. With Cornell and Penn splitting in Philadelphia, the Big Red and Quakers remained tied atop the Ivy South with Princeton one game back and Columbia four.
Game 1: Columbia 2, Princeton 1
Lacie Nelson's walkoff home run with one out in the bottom of the seventh spoiled an outstanding pitching outing by Kristen Schaus and led the Lions to a 2-1 win in the opener.
The game was scoreless until the sixth inning, when the Tigers took advantage of a bad hop and a fielding miscue by the left side of the Lions' infield. The second batter of the inning, Brianna Moreno, beat out a one-out bunt single and stole second. Kathryn Welch then reached when a pitch hit her on the foot, setting up a first-and-second situation for Calli Jo Varner.
Varner grounded the first pitch to third baseman Kacy Krisman, who saw it bounce off her glove and pop straight up. When it came down, shortstop Keli Leong made a hurried throw to try to get Moreno going for third base, but the throw skidded into foul territory and Moreno scored.
Princeton then had runners at the corners with one out and lost the chance for a second run when Columbia pitcher Aimee Kemp threw home a comebacker by Collette Abbott to get Welch for the second out, and Kemp caught a liner by Beth Dalmut to end the inning.
It was then up to Schaus to continue controlling the Columbia lineup. She put the Lions down in order in the sixth and retired the first batter of the seventh, but Chantee Dempsey then stroked a single through the left side to put the tying run on. Nelson then drove an 0-1 pitch over the fence in left to seal the comeback win.
Schaus (6-10) reached three balls in the count only twice in the opener, walking none and striking out seven with four hits. Heading into the seventh, she had given up just two singles to No. 8 hitter Ciji Rich and had one hit batter.
Kemp (12-7) was strong as well, allowing only three hits without a walk. Two were bunt singles by Moreno, and one was a single down the leftfield line by Erin Miller. She struck out only one, but induced 16 ground-ball outs.
Game 2: Princeton 6, Columbia 3 (8 inn.)
The Tigers saved a split with five runs over their last three at-bats to win 6-3 in eight innings.
Princeton again took a 1-0 lead, though this time it came earlier. Calli Jo Varner led off the second inning with a double, took third on a sacrifice and came home on a fly ball by Jamie Lettire, Princeton's starting pitcher.
But after stranding runners in scoring position in the second and third innings, the Lions took advantage of two walks and a single, all with two outs in the fifth. That loaded the bases for cleanup hitter Valerie Smith, who dropped a single into right to score two runs. A third run came home on a bobbled grounder, and the Lions had a 3-1 lead.
But in the next at-bat, four Tigers singled as Princeton tied the game at three. Collette Abbott brought home the first of those two runs with a sacrifice fly and Lettire followed with a single for the equalizer.
Neither starting pitcher was in the game when it ended. Columbia's Amanda Snyder left after the third, giving up two hits with a strikeout and one earned run. Princeton's Lettire threw six innings, giving up six hits with three walks, striking out three and earning two of Columbia's three runs.
The Tigers broke the tie in the eighth, using a leadoff single from Abbott as what would be the go-ahead run. Lettire followed that by reaching on a dropped fly ball. After a groundout that moved both runners into scoring position, Jackie Araneo grounded into a fielder's choice on which Abbott beat the throw home for the 4-3 lead.
Samantha O'Hara brought home Princeton's fifth run with a single through the left side, scoring Lettire. Brianna Moreno followed with a single up the middle to score O'Hara for the 6-3 lead.
Kristen Schaus threw the last two innings and picked up the win, improving to 7-10. She allowed one hit and struck out two, keeping Columbia off the board.
Columbia's Aimee Kemp, who was spared the loss in the opener, dropped to 12-8. She allowed nine hits and a walk in five innings, earning three of the five runs during her tenure and striking out two.
The Tigers will return to Columbia for a 1 p.m. doubleheader Sunday, weather permitting.