Tigers split doubleheader in Boston

In its final chance to tune up before the season's home opener tomorrow night against Fairfield, the softball team (15-7 overall) continued to be bothered by inconsistency and split a doubleheader against Boston University (6-9) on Saturday in Boston.

Though the Tigers played like the dominant unit they are capable of being as they defeated the Terriers 4-1 in the first game, they appeared vulnerable while falling 6-5 in the nightcap. With the Ivy League season — consisting of seven doubleheaders — beginning next Saturday against Penn, Princeton needs to start churning out sweeps against lesser teams.

In the opener on Saturday, the Tigers cruised past Boston University thanks to a history-making performance by junior pitcher Erin Snyder. Her 11 strikeouts not only fueled her eighth win of the season, but also pushed her into third place on Princeton's all-time strikeout list with 432. With nine strikeouts in her next start, Snyder would move past Brie Galicinao '02 for second place all-time.

Motal blasts one

Snyder and the Tigers never trailed in the game, thanks to junior second baseman Lindsay Motal. As the second batter of the game, she blasted the first pitch she saw over the right-field fence for a solo home run. Motal's on-base-plus-slugging percentage of .901 is second on the Princeton squad, trailing only to senior centerfielder Melissa Finley's scorching 1.178.

Boston University would tie the game in the second inning, but in the third Snyder helped out her own cause with a two-out, two-run double that put the Tigers up 3-1. Princeton's final run came in the sixth inning when a double by junior shortstop Cristina Cobb-Adams scored senior catcher Ty Ries.

In allowing just three hits and one run over seven innings, Snyder improved her team-best earned run average to a minute 0.93 and put together her ninth complete game. Snyder's record stands at 8-2 on the season.

For the second game, Snyder passed the ball over to freshman pitcher Kristen Schaus, whose 94 strikeouts are only two less than Snyder's total this season.

Schaus, however, struggled against the Terriers, who torched her for eight hits and five earned runs over six and two-thirds innings.

In the losing effort, Schaus still managed to tie a career high with 15 strikeouts. In the second inning, she whiffed three Boston University batters on just 11 pitches. But, in a rocky third inning, she let the Terriers march to a 3-0 lead.

The Tigers cut that deficit to one in the fifth inning with run-scoring hits by freshman leftfielder Beth Dalmut and Ries. Boston University then pushed the score to 4-2 in the bottom of the inning off a bunt single by leftfielder Chiya Louie, who went three-for-three in the game.

Motal strikes again

In the sixth, though, Princeton took its first lead of the game. Motal scored the first of the Tigers' three runs in the inning with her second home run of the day. Then, with two outs, Dalmut doubled to drive in Finley and tie the game.

Sophomore designated hitter Calli Varner came to the plate next and grounded the ball to second base. When the Terriers' second baseman slipped and released a poor throw to the plate, Dalmut was able to score with a headfirst slide just moments before the catcher's tag brushed her arm.

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But with her team down 5-4, Boston University third baseman Brandi Shields tripled to lead off the bottom of the seventh inning. Shortstop Jamie Haas then stepped to the plate, bunted Shields home, stole second and reached third on an error by Cobb-Adams. That error proved to be costly when a sacrifice fly skied into centerfield by Louie drove in Haas for the winning run.

The error was Cobb-Adams' team-high seventh on the season, and the loss brought Schaus' record to 5-4.

With Snyder anchoring the pitching staff and Finley leading the way on offense, it will be the supporting players that must step up and limit mistakes if the Tigers are going to charge through Ivy play and into the postseason.