Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Cornell (Game 1)
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Princeton Softball Ends Ivy Season with Cornell Split
April 29, 2007 | Softball
PRINCETON, N.J. -- No matter how Sunday's softball doubleheader with Cornell ended, one of the Princeton's rivals would be helped. In game one, Penn got the help it needed from Princeton to claim an outright Ivy South title with the 4-1 Tiger win. Cornell responded in game two, splitting the series with a 5-2 victory.
The Quakers finished the Ivy South at 14-6 and will face either Harvard or Dartmouth in the Ivy League Championship Series next weekend, with the opponent to be decided in games Tuesday at Dartmouth. Cornell (32-13, 13-7 Ivy) needed to sweep both Sunday to force a one-game playoff with Penn, and Princeton's (22-29, 12-8) postseason chances ended with its split Friday in Ithaca, N.Y.
Game 1: Princeton 4, Cornell 1
Princeton built a three-run lead over the first two innings and rode a strong performance from Kristen Schaus the rest of the way in a 4-1 win that eliminated Cornell from the Ivy postseason race.
A double by Kathryn Welch scored a leadoff walk by Stephanie Steel in the bottom of the first and Erin Miller later followed with a sacrifice fly as Princeton started with a 2-0 lead. The next inning, Collette Abbott followed with a shot over the fence in left-center to put Princeton ahead 3-0.
Schaus stranded a pair of runners in scoring position over the first three innings before Cornell cut the lead to 3-1 in the fourth on a leadoff home run by Jessy Berkey. Schaus then survived a double and two walks, still with none out, with a pop-up and two strikeouts.
Princeton added its last run in the sixth as Welch reached on an error at first base and scored four batters later on a long single by Abbott, who had two of Princeton's four RBIs.
Schaus (11-13) allowed only a pair of singles over the last three innings as she scattered seven hits and three walks with only the Berkey home run touching home. Her 11 strikeouts were her most since fanning 12 in the season opener against Liberty. With two in an inning of work in the second game, her total of 13 for the day moved her to 632 for her career, second place on the all-time Princeton list.
Cornell's Haley Mirrer (13-5) took the loss, allowing just three hits and a walk with three strikeouts in four innings as three runs scored on her watch, two earned. Jenn Meunier threw the last two innings, allowing a hit and a walk, striking out four.
Game 2: Cornell 5, Princeton 2
In the nightcap, it was Cornell's turn to score early and hold on to a lead as the Big Red did so successfully in a 5-2 win.
A leadoff single by Ashley Wolf scored on a two-out fielding miscue at third base, putting the Big Red up 1-0 in the top of the first. Two innings later, Alyson Intihar hit a two-out home run, bringing home a walk for a 3-0 lead.
Jessy Berkey pushed the lead to 4-0 with a solo shot in the fourth before Princeton broke up the shutout bid later in the inning on Calli Jo Varner's two out-two run shot to halve the lead to 4-2.
Cornell's final run scored in the fifth when Intihar earned her third RBI of the game, tripling home Samantha Hare for the 5-2 lead.
Despite pitching only the first inning, Kristen Schaus (11-14) took the loss for Princeton as the Big Red scored early and the Tigers weren't able to draw even after that. She allowed a hit while the run was unearned, striking out two.
Jamie Lettire threw the last six innings, giving up four runs, all earned, on four hits and a walk, striking out three.
Cornell used the Haley Mirrer-Jenn Meunier combo again in the second game, with Mirrer (14-5) picking up the win. She allowed three hits and two unearned runs in five innings, striking out two. Meunier allowed a hit and struck out three in two innings.
Princeton will face Rider Tuesday at Class of 1895 Field for its season finale at 3:30 p.m.