CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The Columbia softball team was eliminated from the postseason following an 11-1, five-inning loss to Harvard on Saturday in the Ivy League Playoff Series at Soldiers Field. The Crimson won the best-of-three series, 2-0.
Columbia finishes the 2019 campaign with an overall record of 24-21 after going 15-6 through Ivy League play. The Lions put together back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2001-02 and set a new program record for Ivy League wins. Additionally, they qualified for their first Ivy League postseason and finished in second place in the regular season standings, marking their highest finish in the program's 20-year history.
"This has been such an amazing year in so many different ways, but the things I'm going to remember most about Team 20 are their energy and their spirit," Ivy League Coach of the Year Jennifer Teague said. "They loved each other and were great teammates to each other. We've built this program on being good people and being good teammates. This team's spirit and energy are something I'm not sure I've had in 20 years of coaching."
After a highly competitive Game 1 to the series on Friday, Columbia fell behind early and was never able to mount a comeback on Saturday. Harvard (25-17) got to first-year starter Alexa Pinarski for four runs in each of the first two innings. Erin Gallo took the ball with two on and nobody out and Harvard already leading 6-0 in the second. The junior from nearby Shrewsbury, Massachusetts was able to settle things down but was still changed with three runs, two earned, over four innings.
Columbia put two on with two out in the first after a single by Max Ortega and a walk issued to Sommer Grzybek. Ivy League Pitcher of the Year Katie Duncan was able to escape the jam and didn't allow another runner into scoring position until Abby Stuart tripled with one down in the fourth. Stuart came around to score when a dribbler by senior Alexandra Yule was bobbled at third, but that would be the only tally the Lions put on the scoreboard all afternoon.
"We made it here and now we need to remember this feeling, just like we remembered the feeling of not making it last year, and let it drive us," Teague added. "You don't know the experience until you're sitting in it. I think we were a little wide-eyed but our energy was good – it just wasn't our weekend. We didn't play great softball but that doesn't take away from our amazing season."
Senior Krystin Wong fired up the bench when she singled in her final collegiate at-bat with one out in the fifth. Duncan (17-5) allowed a second consecutive hit to Ortega but had more than enough cushion to send the Crimson to their second straight NCAA Regional. She took the five-inning complete-game victory, surrendering just the unearned run and scattering four hits and three walks.
Ortega recorded a 2-for-3 day at the plate and finished the season with a program-record-tying 40 RBIs. First-year Abby Stuart hit for the weekend cycle and was 4-for-7 in the series with two runs and three RBIs.
