PRINCETON, N.J. – The Columbia softball team could not conjure up any more seventh inning heroics today as the Lions fell to Brown, 2-1, on Friday at the CL Paul Field. Columbia now needs two more wins for a chance to advance to the NCAA Regionals.

Columbia (24-17) stuck to its blueprint for success, pitching and stellar defense and that is exactly what they got this afternoon. First-year shortstop Juju O'Brien made several incredible defensive plays. Meanwhile, starter Jordan Hill (11-8) once again went the distance, scattering two runs over seven innings in a hard luck loss.

At the plate, Payton Shimansky hit her third home run of the season, while Eleni Katsivalis, Sarah Mikami, Caroline Palys, and Maddie Souza all had big hits for Columbia.

"I'm just really proud of our fight," head coach Jennnifer Teague said. "When you get to this point in the season you are going to face good pitching night after night, and we battled. For the second consecutive day we gave ourselves a chance to win it late, today just didn't go our way. I really admire how our kids don't let a hard day at the plate impact the rest of their game. I know we are going to come back tomorrow and get two more."

Brown (32-15) broke the scoreless tie in the top of the fifth inning. With two outs, Jasmine Hsiao singled through the left side that drove in Alyssa Villarde from second. Brown looked to add on to its early lead, putting two more aboard, but Hill and the Lions worked out of the jam when Mikami snagging a hard-hit line drive at first to keep it a one run game.

Hill, the Lions' ace in the circle, once again battled. She pitched around seven hits and three walks, giving up just two runs. The lone blemish on the day for Hill was a crucial two-out RBI single from Abbey Bettencourt in the top of the sixth that made it a 2-0 ball game.

Columbia scored its lone run of the contest in the bottom of the sixth inning. Trailing 2-0, Payton Shimansky brough the Lions' dugout back to life with a solo home run over the left field fence. The home run was the fourth of the year for Shimansky.

Hill got the shutdown inning in the top of the seventh, giving the Lions a chance at more late inning heroics in the bottom of the seventh. Unfortunately for Columbia, Brown's starter Alexis Guevara (19-7) recorded the final three outs to end the game.

Guevara's final line: 7.0 innings pitched, six hits allowed, one earned run, with six strikeouts.

UP NEXT
The Lions await their opponent for game five of the Ivy League Championships. Columbia will face the winner of Friday evening's contest between Harvard and host Princeton. Saturday's contest is scheduled for a 12:30 p.m. first pitch.
 
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