April 20, 2006
NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. - Columbia used an eight-run seventh inning to capture a 9-3 comeback victory in game one against Iona, but dropped the nightcap, 8-2.
In the second meeting between the two teams this season, Columbia started the scoring with two outs in the fourth when Lacie Nelson homered over the left-center field fence to give Columbia a 1-0 edge that would be temporary.
Iona came right back with two unearned runs in the bottom of the inning and one more run in the sixth to take a 3-1 lead into the seventh and final frame.
The first eight Columbia batters reached base safely in the seventh. Maiya Chard-Yaron started the rally by legging out a grounder hit in the hole between shortstop and third base. Lexie Costic then lined a single over third base and Keli Leong followed by drilling a single to left.
With the bases loaded, Valerie Smith lined a 1-0 fastball into the left-center field gap to score two runs and tie the game.
After Kacy Krisman was intentionally walked to get a force at every base, Ciji Rich shook off a fastball that nailed the top of her helmet and trotted to first base with the go-ahead RBI. Nelson followed with a fly ball to right that would have brought home another run if it was caught, but the right fielder dropped it and allowed two more Lions to cross the plate, giving Columbia a 6-3 lead.
Kim Krisman, Chard-Yaron and Leong drove home three more runs after that, as the Lions sent 13 batters to the plate in a half-inning that lasted nearly a half hour.
Starter Jackie Adelfio made those runs stand up, as she allowed a one-out single in the seventh, but nothing more, as the senior hurler picked up her 15th win of the season.
In game two, the two teams were held scoreless until Iona posted five unearned runs in the third inning. With two outs, the Gaels scored those five runs on four consecutive singles and took a 5-0 lead.
The Lions came back with two runs of their own in the top of the fourth. After Kacy Krisman led off with a single, Ciji Rich doubled down the left field line to score Krisman. Two batters later, Rich came home on a squeeze by Hilary Parsons to cut the deficit to 5-2.
Columbia was held hitless the rest of the way, as Iona scored three times in the fifth to extend its lead to 8-2.
Despite allowing just three earned runs, Chard-Yaron (5-10) was tagged with the loss.
After posting three hits on the day, Maiya Chard-Yaron is now tied for the Columbia single-season record for base hits (52), held by Anne-Marie Ebner (2001) and Marisa Marconi (2004). And with her two-run double in the opener, Valerie Smith now holds the Columbia single-season record for RBI by a first-year with 26.
Columbia (21-22-1, 3-5 Ivy League) returns to Ivy League action this weekend with doubleheaders at Yale on Saturday and at Brown on Sunday. The Lions can move up the Ivy standings and create some distance between themselves and Yale (2-6) and Brown (3-5) with a successful weekend.
