Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Cornell (Game 1)
Players Mentioned
Cornell Sweeps Softball in Season's Home Finale
April 24, 2009 | Softball
PRINCETON -- Cornell took two games from the Princeton softball team Sunday afternoon, 5-1 and 7-0, ending the Tigers' home season at Class of 1895 Field.
The Big Red (38-10, 15-3 Ivy), which had already clinched the Ivy South division title before the day began, has also all but clinched hosting duties for the Ivy League Championship Series, against either Dartmouth or Harvard, which will decide the Ivy's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
Princeton (14-20, 8-10) never led on the day. Cornell pushed a run across in the top of the first against first-game starter Jamie Lettire (7-7) to take the early lead, and the Tigers managed only Collette Abbott's home run in the bottom of the opening frame. The round-tripper was the third of the season for Abbott, who had three of Princeton's seven hits in the opener.
Cornell scored four more runs between the fifth and sixth innings to pad its lead as Big Red pitcher Elizabeth Dalrymple (16-2) got the Tigers to strand seven runners on base.
Michelle Tolfa (7-12) held Cornell hitless for 2 2/3 innings, but the Big Red broke through with three in the third and added on from there, scoring a run each in the fifth and sixth and two more in the seventh. Princeton got seven hits off Cornell pitcher Ali Tomlinson (15-5), but stranded nine runners on base.
Again, Abbott had Princeton's only multi-hit game in the nightcap, going 2 for 4. Since carrying a .143 average at the close of play on March 28, Abbott has gone 27 for 57 (.474) to lead the team in hitting in Ivy play (.397).
The two teams will finish their four-game series Sunday at Cornell with a 12:30 p.m. doubleheader.