NEW YORK — The Columbia softball team split the first two games of its three-game series with Yale, falling in game one of Saturday's doubleheader, 11-9, but coming back to win game two, 3-1.
Sophomore
Jaden Hill highlighted the offense, going a combined 4-for-6 with two home runs and six RBI across the doubleheader. She drove in all six of those runs in the opener, hitting a solo shot in the first, a three-run shot in the fifth and doubling home two more to give the Lions the lead in the sixth.
Abby Stuart was 3-for-6 with a long ball, as six Lions totaled at least two hits on a day that saw the offense hit .302 as a team.
Hill's go-ahead double brought the Lions (8-19, 5-6 Ivy) all the way back from a five-run deficit with six unanswered runs to take an 8-7 lead into the seventh. However, a costly error helped Yale (7-17, 5-6 Ivy) load the bases with two outs, which allowed Carolyn Skotz to deliver a double that ultimately led to four unearned runs in the inning. Columbia's
Abby Stuart tried to spark a rally with her seventh home run of the season in the bottom half, but Yale hung on to steal the series opener, 11-9.
After committing four errors in the front end of the doubleheader, Columbia's defense stepped up to help nail down a solid game-two victory. The offense didn't provide quite the jolt it did earlier in the day, manufacturing a run in the second, third and sixth innings, but
Raquel Reyes didn't need more than that. She tossed five strong innings before handing the ball off to
Kaia McCaul, who retired the final six batters she faced for her first collegiate save.
"It was good for us to get ahead early and maintain that lead. I knew the defense had my back so that was huge," said Reyes, who improved to 3-4 on the season. "Kaia was amazing today. I'm very proud of Kaia for coming in and helping me out in game two. Hopefully, we can bring that energy into tomorrow."
Reyes didn't allow a hit until the fourth inning and surrendered just one run while striking out four. After Yale cut Columbia's lead to 2-1 on a double in the fourth, her defense stepped up by getting a tag-out at home and snagging the final out of the inning off a sharp liner hit to right.
The Lions scored their first two runs with some help from Yale's defense. With two on to lead off the second,
Maddie Souza dropped down a bunt to third but Yale didn't have anyone covering first. The Bulldogs' third baseman mistakenly threw over anyway, sailing a throw into right field that plated the opening tally.
Maria Pagane made it 2-0 in the third, hitting a one-out double down the line in left before coming around to score on two wild pitches.
Columbia gave itself a little insurance in the sixth. After Stuart doubled and Maddie Rifenberick walked to start things off, Souza dropped down a sac bunt to put two in scoring position.
Cami Neal then stepped up and hit a ball deep enough to right center to allow pinch-runner
Caroline Palys to tag up and score, giving the Lions a two-run lead.
McCaul shut the door in the seventh on just five pitches with some help from
Bubba Gleaves, who ended the game in style with a diving catch right in front of the Yale dugout.
"I thought we played well behind [Reyes] and then Kaia came in and did a fantastic job in both games," head coach
Jennifer Teague said. "She didn't give up any earned runs all day and she's finally getting back to her old self again. It's fun to watch and we're going to need her."
The Lions and Bulldogs square off in the rubber game Sunday at 12:30 p.m.
For the latest on the Columbia softball program, follow @CULionsSoftball on
Twitter and
Instagram, on Facebook at
Facebook.com/CULionsSoftball. You can view all the latest with the Lions on the web at
GoColumbiaLions.com/Softball.
