Columbia, Princeton Battle For Top Spot In The South Division
4/21/2016 1:45:00 PM | Softball
The Columbia softball team (12-27, 4-8 Ivy) will welcome South Division leader, Princeton (14-24, 7-5 Ivy), to New York City this weekend as the two teams battle in a four-game series for the top spot in the division on April 23-24.
BATTLE FOR THE SOUTH DIVISION
Columbia sits only three games behind South Division leader Princeton with only eight Ivy League games remaining, so this weekend's matchup will have a strong impact in deciding who the 2016 South Division champion will be.
SOMETHING IS COOKING
Junior Kerry Cook was named the Ivy League Player of the Week last week after a dominating performance for the Lions in the South Division opener against Cornell. The first-baseman went 6-for-8 with seven RBI, a double, a home run, a walk and a pair of runs scored while six of those seven RBI came in a 4-for-5, six-RBI performance in game two against the Big Red.
TALKING ABOUT TROUTT
Sophomore Taylor Troutt has been the hot bat for the Lions over the last eight games, leading the team with a .435 average (10-for-23) with four RBI after three doubles and a home run while working four walks. The second-baseman has also posted a .581 on-base percentage and .696 slugging percentage in that eight-game span. At home this year, Troutt is batting .400 (14-for-35) with three doubles and three home runs while driving in 14 runs for a .743 slugging percentage.
WALK-OFF WINNER
Rookie Jordan Townsend gave the Lions a major lift in Wednesday's doubleheader against Manhattan as she blasted a three-run walk-off home run to left center in the bottom of the 10th to give the Lions a 3-0 win in game one.
SERIES HISTORY
Columbia is 13-35-0 all-time against Princeton in a series that dates back to 2001. Last year, the Tigers took all four games from the Lions while Columbia held Princeton to only three runs of less in two of those games.
A QUICK LOOK AT PRINCETON
Princeton heads into the weekend as the leader of the South Division with a 14-24 overall record and 7-5 mark in conference play. After taking three of four last weekend against Penn, the Tigers dropped a mid-week doubleheader on the road against Lehigh. Leading the Tigers all season at the plate has been Kaylee Grant who holds a .333 average with four doubles, three home runs and 18 RBI for a .457 slugging percentage while working eight walks and 10 hit-by-pitches for a .431 on-base percentage. Princeton relies on a trio of starters in the circle in Ashley La Guardia (6-7, 3.83 ERA, 64.0 IP, 44 K), Shanna Christian (2-8, 4.26 ERA, 69.0 IP, 56 K) and Claire Klausner (5-5, 4.51 ERA, 73.0 IP, 54 K).
ON DECK
The Lions will wrap up their non-conference schedule on Wednesday, April 27, as they welcome Rider to the Columbia Softball Stadium for a doubleheader starting at 3 p.m.
