Lions and Tigers fight to extra innings

Great games are often decided in the final innings — and sometimes, the final outs — by players who choose to be heroes for the day. By this standard, both the Princeton and Columbia softball teams can claim to have heroes in their rosters, as both of Saturday's games were decided either in the final inning of regulation or in extra innings, with the teams splitting the doubleheader in dramatic fashion.

The drama dropped off considerably Sunday, when the second doubleheader between the Tigers (17-22 overall, 7-3 Ivy League) and Lions (16-18, 6-8) had to be postponed due to inclement weather in Manhattan.

In Saturday's opener, the two teams got off to a tense start, with Princeton junior ace Kris Schaus (7-10) battling it out with Columbia counterpart Aimee Kemp.

Neither hurler gave an inch until the sixth inning, when the Tigers were able to strike first. Sophomore outfielder Brianna Moreno bunted herself onto first base and used her incredible speed to steal second. Moreno was brought home on an error when senior designated player Calli Jo Varner hit a rocket to the Lions' third baseman. The infielder misplayed the ball and then made an errant throw in an attempt to catch Moreno before she reached third. Moreno scored when the ball sailed wide and out of play, giving the Tigers a 1-0 advantage.

Princeton held onto its lead for one inning, until Columbia struck back in the seventh to steal the game with some offensive power of its own. Chantee Dempsey hit a single to start the Lions' rally with one out. Lacie Nelson stepped to the plate next and smashed the second pitch over the left-field fence for her first walk-off home run of the season. The 2-1 loss was a disappointment for Schaus, who had pitched a stellar game, allowing only four hits and not walking a single batter.

"I felt really good throughout the first game, but unfortunately, it didn't end too well," Schaus said. "It was pretty heartbreaking. It stinks when one pitch can decide the outcome like that."

Though it was a tough loss, the Tigers bounced back to top the Lions 6-3 in the second game of the doubleheader. The afternoon game proved to be just as exciting as the first, with solid defensive play and powerful bats. Varner struck first once again, this time hitting a double in the second inning. Freshman starting pitcher Jamie Lettire, not wanting to leave Varner stranded, brought her home with a fly ball.

Not to be outdone, the Lions came roaring back in the fifth. With two outs, they managed to load the bases for power-hitting catcher Valerie Smith. Smith was able to dump a single into shallow right to knock home two runs. An error allowed another runner to score, and Columbia finished the inning leading 3-1.

Princeton rallied back immediately in the top of the sixth with four players singling to bring in two more runs, tying the game at three.

In the seventh, Schaus stepped to the mound to replace Lettire, who had knocked in two out of three Princeton runs in addition to providing a quality start. Lettire moved over to play first base.

Neither team could end the tie through regulation, but the Tigers didn't need much time in extra innings to get on the board. In the eighth, both freshman infielder Collette Abbott and Lettire got on base, with Abbott coming home on a fielder's choice that gave Princeton the lead. Sophomore catcher Samantha O'Hara hit a single to bring home Lettire, and Moreno capped off the scoring with a single to bring home O'Hara. The Tigers finished the inning with a 6-3 lead, and Schaus closed out the game without allowing Columbia another runner.

"I think there was a little more sense of urgency for us in the second game," Schaus said. "We put the ball in play and made things happen, and we knew how important it was to pull out the win. I think we were all pretty ticked about the first game and how it ended because it was in our grasp for so long, so we responded."

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Princeton will try to carry some of its momentum into its game against Villanova on Thursday and into its Ivy matchup with Penn this weekend. The Tigers will make up the cancelled doubleheader against the Lions at a date yet to be announced.

"We were happy to pull out the last game, but I think we all know how much we should have won the first game," Schaus said. "Hopefully, that will carry into the next two games against Columbia and into the rest of the season."