Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Columbia (Game 1)
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Lettire Breaks Home Run Record in Softball's Split at Columbia
April 17, 2010 | Softball
PRINCETON -- As her collegiate softball career winds through its final spring, Jamie Lettire now has an impressive record to call her own.
In the first game of Princeton's doubleheader at Columbia Saturday afternoon, Lettire hit the 38th home run of her career, moving past Melissa Finley '05 to take sole possession of the mark.
The home run gave the Tigers a one-run lead, though the Lions rallied late for a 6-5 victory. Princeton bounced back in game two for a 2-1 win in the nightcap.
Game 1: Columbia 6, Princeton 5 (9 inn.)
Columbia (10-23, 2-8 Ivy) hit home runs in the seventh and ninth innings to tie and get past the Princeton softball team, 6-5, in Saturday's first game, which the Tigers never trailed until the end.
Princeton (8-26, 2-8) led 3-0 in the middle of the third inning after capitalizing on a Columbia error for two runs in the second and Kelsey Quist's solo home run in the third. The lead lasted only until the bottom of the third, however, as the Lions used two hits and an error to pull within 3-2 before manufacturing a run in the fourth to tie it.
Lettire's record-breaking home run put the Tigers ahead 4-3 in Princeton's first at-bat after Columbia moved to tie. Kayla Lechler answered Lettire with one out in the bottom of the seventh, hitting a solo shot to pull even again.
After a scoreless eighth inning, Princeton took its last lead of the opener by using two hits, a walk and a Quist groundout to pull ahead 5-4, but Columbia started its half of the ninth with a single followed by another Lechler home run to claim the 6-5 win.
Game 2: Princeton 2, Columbia 1
After a troublesome first inning that saw Columbia reach five batters but leave the bases loaded, Lettire pitched six shutout frames and stranded eight more runners as the Tigers pulled through for a 2-1 win.
Princeton had just three runners reach through the first five innings but converted in the sixth, using doubles from Collette Abbott and Lettire along with an error to score two runs. Back in the circle, Lettire followed it by stranding two Columbia batters in the bottom of the sixth and retiring the Lions in order in the seventh to preserve the win.
Princeton and Columbia will get together again Sunday for a twinbill starting at 12:30 p.m.