CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The Columbia softball team put on a power display Friday afternoon at Soldiers Field. The Lions clubbed six extra base hits, including three home runs, in a thrilling 9-8 victory over Harvard in game one of a three-game series.

"I'm really proud of the way our team competed today," head coach Jennifer Teague said. "We stayed even-keeled, never getting too high or too low, and it was a full team effort. We're in a tight one with game two halted, but I love the energy and focus we brought. We're excited to come back tomorrow, battle hard, and give ourselves a chance to take the series."

Game one featured plenty of highlights, with lots of scoring in a back-and-forth contest. The Lions (10-10, 4-0 Ivy) scored the opening run in the top of the first inning when Payton Shimansky scored on a wild pitch.

A triple by Priyanka Kaul plated a pair of runs for the Crimson (11-8, 0-4 Ivy) in the home half of the inning. The Harvard lead did not last. In the top of the second Olivia Madkins jumped all over a pitch on the inner half for a two-run home run, the first of her career, giving the Lions a 3-2 lead.

With the lead, Columbia starter Emmy Davis went to work. The first-year pitcher retired the Crimson in order in the second, made quick work of Harvard in the third and pitched around a one-out single in the fourth.

With two outs in the top of the fourth, the Lions displayed their power. Shimansky got the party started with an opposite field home run, the first of her career. Three-straight doubles off the bats of Maddie Souza, Sarah Mikami, and Juju O'Brien plated three more runs for the Lions.

In the fifth, Harvard put on a hitting display of their own, scoring eight runs on six hits. The Crimson briefly chased Davis out of the game following an RBI single from Finley Payne.

Charlotte Laidler entered the game for the Lions but was unable to hold the lead and recorded just a pair of outs after allowing three hits and two runs. Caylene Nguyen (1-0) got the win for the Lions; she faced two batters in the fifth and got the final out of the frame.

In the sixth, trailing 8-7, Mikami came up big, blasting a two-run home run the other way – her fourth of the season. Mikami finished the day going 2-for-4 with two runs scored and four driven in. She was one of four Lions to have multiple hits in the contest.

Davis re-entered the game for the Lions in the bottom of the sixth and did not allow Crimson to score, throwing two shutout innings for her first save. Her final line for the day, 6.0 innings pitched, allowing ten hits, six runs, with three strikeouts.

UP NEXT
Game two was postponed due to darkness with Harvard leading 4-1 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning. The two teams will finish the game tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. with game three slated to begin a half hour after the completion of game two.
 
FOLLOWING THE LIONS
Stay up to date on all things Columbia Softball by following the Lions on X (@CULionsSoftball), Instagram (@culionssoftball) and on Facebook (@ColumbiaSoftball).