NEW YORK – A walk-off wild pitch propelled Columbia to a 4-3 win and allowed the Lions to take the series win over Princeton on Sunday afternoon at the Columbia Softball Stadium. Columbia earns its first series win over Princeton since 2019 and opens the Ivy League slate with a 2-1 mark.
"You take chances sometimes in this game. Most of the time the bigger aggressor wins. Princeton is a great team and I know we are going to see them later. It has been a battle for years with Princeton, so I am just happy we are on the winning end and can get the series to start off Ivy League play."
Princeton controlled the game early with a run in the first and second innings to take a 2-0 lead. Sonia Zhang started the game with a home run in the top of the first inning. Grace Jackson then scored on a Caitlin Bish RBI single in the second.
The Tigers added another run in the fourth to hold a 3-0 advantage. Bish scored as Julia Dumais worked a bases loaded walk.
Columbia got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth inning when
Cami Neal sent a solo shot over the fence. Neal brought in another run in the fifth with an RBI single up the middle that scored
Jaden Hill.
"We have a plan against these pitchers, we've seen them for a couple years now," Neal said. "We were ready. We came out ready to attack and we were not going to let them have it easy, and I think we showed that."
Princeton held on to the lead entering the bottom of the seventh inning. The Tigers got a runner to second, but
Sarah Mikami was able to leave the runner stranded.
Hill started the seventh inning rally with a one-out single through the left side.
Savanna Messner was walked and Neal singled up the middle to score Hill and tie the game.
Messner and Neal each advanced on a passed ball. Following a ground out for the second out of the inning, Messner scored from third on a wild pitch to secure Columbia's walk-off victory.
ON DECK
The Lions return home Wednesday for a midweek matchup against Monmouth. First pitch is slated for 4 p.m.
FOLLOWING THE LIONS
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