Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Columbia (Game 1)
Players Mentioned
Softball Splits Second Columbia Twinbill
April 26, 2011 | Softball
PRINCETON -- A three-run sixth inning lifted the Princeton softball team to a 5-2 win in Tuesday's nightcap against Columbia after the Lions had their own big inning in a 7-5 first-game win.
The Tigers are now 14-24 overall and 5-11 in the Ivy League heading into a Friday-Sunday four-game series with Cornell in which the first doubleheader will take place at the Class of 1895 Field. Columbia moved to 16-25 overall and 6-10 in the Ivy behind Cornell (22-18-1, 9-5) and Penn (15-18-1, 6-8), which still have a doublehead to play between them before heading into the Ivy's final regular-season series next weekend.
Princeton led early in the opener, but a seven-run fourth inning for Columbia was too much for the Tigers to overcome. A solo home run by Lizzie Pierce and a two-run double from Nicole Ontiveros helped Princeton chip the deficit down to 7-4 before the Tigers got another in the fifth to pull within two runs, but that ended the afternoon for Columbia starter Prophet Gaspard (12-10). Maggie Johnson picked up the save with two innings of scoreless relief, allowing only one hit. Liza Kuhn (6-6) took the loss for the Tigers.
Johnson (4-15) returned to the circle for the entirety of the second game for Columbia, but Princeton fared better in the rematch. After seeing an early 2-0 lead erased, Princeton broke the tie in the bottom of the sixth when its first four batters of the frame reached to help the Tigers to a three-run inning and a 5-2 lead. Alex Peyton (5-12) completed the seven-inning effort by retiring the Lions in order. Peyton also led the Tigers with four hits between the two games.
The Tigers will host Cornell Friday in a 2 p.m. doubleheader on what will be Senior Day for the Tigers, honoring Princeton's two members of the Class of 2011, Michelle Tolfa and Megan Weidrick.