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Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Harvard (Game 1)
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Players Mentioned
Princeton Softball Suffers Sweep to Harvard
April 07, 2007 | Softball
PRINCETON, N.J. -- Harvard swept the home-opening doubleheader from the Princeton softball team Saturday afternoon, hitting four home runs in 5-2 and 3-1 wins at Class of 1895 Field.
The losses dropped Princeton (13-20, 4-2 Ivy) into second place in the Ivy South, one game behind Cornell (5-1) and Penn (7-3) and two games ahead of Columbia (4-6) with 14 games to play, including all 12 divisional contests.
In the Ivy North, Harvard (13-9, 4-2 Ivy) opened a two-game lead on Dartmouth (2-4) and three games each on Brown (1-5) and Yale (1-5).
Game 1: Harvard 5, Princeton 2
Julia Kidder's two-run home run broke open a tie game in the third inning before the Crimson added a run in the seventh in a 5-2 win.
Princeton scored two in the first, but were kept off the board the rest of the game. Seven runners left on base, including three in scoring position, cost the Tigers in a tight game.
First-inning singles from Lauren Brown and Kidder gave Harvard its first run, but Princeton got it back and did one better in the bottom half of the inning.
Kathryn Welch doubled home Stephanie Steel with a two-out hit down the leftfield line, and Calli Jo Varner singled two batters later to score Welch and put Princeton ahead 2-1.
But after a quiet Harvard second inning, the Crimson benefitted from a walk and a dropped ball at first base to keep the inning going with two out. Stephanie Krysiak drove in a run with a single, and Kidder followed with her two-run shot to give Harvard a 3-2 lead.
Crimson starter Shelly Madick (6-3) settled in and didn't allow a Tiger runner past first base until the seventh, when Princeton was behind by three. Madick finished with four hits and five walks, striking out six while earning both runs.
Princeton starter Kristen Schaus (6-9) left after the fourth inning, striking out seven with four hits and two walks, earning two of the first four Harvard runs.
Harvard picked up its last run off Princeton reliever Jamie Lettire in the seventh, taking advantage of three walks and a single. Lettire finished with one hit and four walks, striking out four in three innings.
Game 2: Harvard 3, Princeton 1
Three solo home runs between the second and fourth innings were all Harvard needed to complete a 3-1 sweep.
Danielle Kerper led off the second with her first home run of the year, while Lauren Murphy hit a two-out shot the following inning, her eighth of the year. The last home run came in the fourth from Melissa Schellberg in the fourth with two out.
Runners left on base cost the Tigers in another close game in the nightcap, as Princeton stranded 11 on the sacks. Seven were in scoring position.
The Tigers got their run when Kathryn Welch singled down the rightfield line with two out in the fifth, bringing in a leadoff walk to Kelsey Quist.
Calli Jo Varner (3-7) gave up seven hits and two walks, striking out five while earning the three Harvard runs.
Harvard's Amanda Watkins (4-0) allowed four hits and walked eight, striking out four.
The Tigers will host Dartmouth at Class of 1895 Field to close inter-divisional play with a 1 p.m. doubleheader Sunday.