Columbia looks to improve run production

While it may not be all that surprising that the Columbia softball team has a current Ivy League record of 2-6 (12-20 overall), given that the program only won three conference matchups last year, the Lions’ record could very easily be much better. During the first eight games of Ivy play, the Light Blue left a total of 46 runners on base. as all but two of these games have been decided by two runs or fewer, these missed opportunities have really hurt the Lions.

“We have left a lot of runners on base and in scoring position this entire season,” admitted head coach Kayla Noonan. “It speaks to our need to finish. We have to play our game, regardless of the competition, and finish what we start.”

Columbia opened the Ivy season by splitting two close games with Harvard on March 28. The Crimson took the first game by a score of 1-0, before dropping the second 2-0 to the Light Blue. While pitching was the key reason for the close wins, the fact remains that the Lions only left five runners on base during the course of both games.

Columbia was not as effective in its next series against Dartmouth, dropping both games by scores of 8-1 and 3-1, while stranding 13. In the second game of the series, it was the Lions who scored, first going up 1-0 in the bottom of the second. Yet there were opportunities to score more, as the inning ended on a groundout by Chantee Dempsey with runners on the corners.

In its next conference matchup, the Light Blue fell in two close games to Yale. In the first game of the series, the Lions were leading 4-2 going into the bottom of the seventh, until a three-run inning by the Bulldogs gave them the victory. Even though Columbia stranded only four runners in this contest, there were still two crucial innings in which the Lions could have added another run.

Maggie Johnson opened the top of the second with a walk, placing her on first base with no outs. The Light Blue not only failed to get her across the plate, but could not even advance Johnson to second as the next three batters struck out.

Columbia’s other opportunity to score came in the top of the fifth, when Dani Pineda fouled out to shortstop, leaving Keli Leong on second base.
The Lions’ ability to hit in the clutch decreased further in the second game of the series, which resulted in a 2-0 Yale victory.

After leaving two on in the first inning, the Light Blue went two innings without a single base runner. That would change in the top of the fourth, however, as consecutive singles by Pineda, Johnson, and Kayla Lechler loaded the bases with no outs. Despite this excellent setup, the next three batters were unable to bring a single runner home. With Yale leading 2-0 at the start of the fourth, the Lions could easily have taken the lead, and possibly the game, had they been able to follow through.

Following these two disappointing losses, Columbia traveled to Providence, where they split their matches with Brown. After taking the first game 6-5, the Lions dropped the second decision to the Bears by a score of 12-3.

In the second game, the Light Blue stranded 10 runners, as opposed to six in the first game of the series. In the second inning, Dempsey tripled to right center with just one out, but none of her teammates were able to bat her in. Things only got worse for Columbia in the next inning when it left three runners on. After two outs had been recorded, the Lions managed to load the bases, but Anne Marie Skylis ended the inning with a lineout to first. The Light Blue then left two on in both the fifth and sixth innings. In the sixth, Dempsey was again on third with only one out after a double and a flyout by Leong, and again the Lions could not get her home.

If Columbia can learn to hit under pressure and finish its innings, its Ivy record could greatly improve.