Perfection: Snyder blanks Quakers

Playing a doubleheader at Penn, the softball team was just looking for two wins to start their Ivy League season. What they found was perfection.

Sophomore Erin Snyder pitched an eight-inning perfect game as the Tigers blanked the Quakers 1-0 in the opening game. Junior Melissa Finley contiued the manhandling of the feeble Penn offense with a four-hit shutout of her own, as Princeton (13-10, 2-0) pounded the Quakers (8-16-1, 0-2) 6-0 in the second game.

The two victories provided an auspicious start to league play, as the Tigers seek to defend their Ivy League championship.

Snyder improved to 6-6 on the season with a 2.12 earned-run average. She leads the team with eight complete games and 78 strikeouts.

Finley improved to 3-4 on the year. She currently leads the team with a 2.00 ERA.

The Tigers struggled offensively in the first game, managing just four hits. After both teams failed to get any runs across in the first seven frames, the game went into extra innings.

But in the top of eighth, the Tiger bats came alive. Junior catcher Ty Ries opened the inning with a single, and freshman Tiffany Wilson came into the game to pinch run for her. Wilson advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by freshman designated hitter Tiffany Andras. Junior second baseman Kristin Lueke then strode to the plate, wearing a fierce Casey-at-the-Bat snarl on her lips. But instead of flailing away like Ernest Thayer's mythical goat, Lueke drove Wilson home with a game-winning single.

In the second game, the Tigers' offense pulled a Stella and finally got its groove back. The Tigers pounded out eleven hits and six runs in the romp over Penn.

Princeton struck early, when Lueke singled in the top of the first. Finley then drove her home with an RBI single of her own.

In the third, Finley doubled and was driven home by Snyder for the second run.

Like a bad case of heartburn, the Tigers continued to wear away the insides of the Quakers with another offensive barrage in the fourth. Freshman Allison Nemeth pinch ran for sophomore third baseman Amanda Erickson, who had singled. Nemeth advanced to second on a sac bunt from Lueke, and then advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt from senior leftfielder Wendy Bingham. Nemeth then scored on a wild pitch.

In the fifth, Finley walked and was driven in on a double by Ries.

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Erickson walked in the sixth, and freshman centerfielder Stephanie Steel drove her in with a sacrifice fly. The final run of the game came when Lueke scored on a passed ball later in the inning.

Finley led the Tigers, going 2 for 3 with an RBI and two runs scored. Lueke went 2 for 4 and crossed the plate twice herself.

The games saw the Tigers execute on all cylinders.

"We proved today that it's executing the little things that gets the wins," Lueke said. "Whether it was getting bunts down and moving runners or shortening up our swings and making contact, we managed to push the runs we needed across the plate."

As the Tigers continue their defense of the league title, they will hope to match the play of the Penn games. With these two wins, the Tigers have won five straight games.

Princeton will be back in action tomorrow as they travel to Bethlehem, Pa. to take on Lehigh in a doubleheader.

Next weekend will be crucial to the success of their title defense as they will play two games at Dartmouth on Friday followed by a doubleheader at Harvard on Saturday.