With a season-high 18 runs, the Columbia softball team (11-17, 1-3 Ivy) rebounded from its upsetting loss to Dartmouth with two well played victories over Marist.
The opener remained scoreless for three innings until Marist pitcher Caitlin Schell walked Maggie Johnson, Kayla Lechler, Jackie Ecker, and Stephanie Yagi in the top of the fourth, giving the Lions their first run. Although a Red Fox pitching change was then made, Anne Marie Skylis was walked as well, bringing Lechler home.
With the two-run advantage and no outs, the Light Blue took control. Chantee Dempsey singled, bringing two more runners across the plate before Keli Leong followed with a single of her own, putting a fifth run on the board. Karen Tulig was then walked, loading the bases for Dani Pineda. Pineda grounded out to shortstop, allowing yet another runner to score. Johnson was then up again and, with a double to deep right center, put the Lions up 9-0.
The Red Foxes did pick up a run in the bottom of the fourth, but after five innings the game was called for the Light Blue, 9-1.
Johnson went 1-2 with two RBI and pitched five innings, allowing only one run. Leong was 2-4 with an RBI as well.
The Lions followed their impressive win with another nine-run performance. The Light Blue went up quickly in the first with a Leong single and a Tulig sacrifice bunt.
Up 3-0 in the third, Marist picked up a run, but once again at the top of the fourth Columbia broke away. Singles from Skylis, Leong, Tulig, and Lechler put the Light Blue ahead 7-1. The Lions advanced to 9-1 in the fifth, and strong defense throughout the remainder of the game kept the Red Foxes to three runs.
Leong went 4-5 with three RBI while Lechler went 2-3 with two RBI.
With the nonconference portion of the week out of the way, Columbia will now face Yale and Brown in Ivy play.
Yale defeated Fairfield in two solid efforts last Wednesday, holding the Stags to one run each game, 5-1 and 8-1.
Great pitching, timely hitting, and strong defense pushed the Bulldogs past the Stags in the opener. Junior Kayla Kuretich, who led Yale pitching last season with 43 strikeouts, tossed a three-hitter with six strikeouts. Freshmen Meg Johnson and Mariclaire Rebman added to Kuretich’s powerful pitching with two RBI and two hits, respectively.
In the second game, the Bulldogs had 12 hits. Senior Katie Edwards recorded her 84th career RBI, the second most in Yale history, while Megan Enyeart hit the 36th double of her career, tying for first place in the Bulldog record book.
Brown (7-13, 1-3 Ivy) had an equally impressive doubleheader on March 31 with a sweep against the University of Rhode Island, 4-3 and 3-1. With the victories, Brown remains undefeated at home this season. Freshman Trish Melvin earned the win in the opener, pitching 6.1 innings and giving up three runs and two hits.
Michelle Moses followed Melvin’s great performance at the mound with one of her own. Pitching a complete game, Moses gave up only one run in six hits and struck out 10. Kate Strobel led offensively for the Bears, going 4-6 with two doubles and two runs.
Last year, when the Lions faced the Bulldogs and the Bears, they split with Yale and swept Brown in their home and Ivy League opener.
In the opener against Yale pitched by Maggie Johnson, the Lions routed the Bulldogs 11-0 in five innings—recording their most runs scored in Ivy play. A Kuretich four-hitter turned the tide in game two, which the Bulldogs won 5-0.
Against Brown last season, Johnson pitched another shutout, 4-0, in the Ivy home opener. The two shutouts earned Johnson Ivy League Pitcher of the Week honors for the week of April 1. The Lions captured the second game against the Bears as well in an 8-5 nail-biter.
The Lions face the Bulldogs on April 4 in New Haven, Conn., and the Bears on April 5 at Soldier Field.
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