The softball team (13-14, 2-6 Ivy League) won its first home game of the season Saturday against Princeton (7-25, 1-7), but then lost the second game of the day to the Tigers. In their doubleheader against Cornell (21-8, 7-1) Sunday, the Bears were outscored, 23-4, and mercy-ruled in both games.
Brown 5, Princeton 0
Pitcher Kristie Chin '11 set the tone of the game, striking out three Tigers in the first inning. Shortstop Katie Rothamel '10 started the Bears' offense off with a single straight up the middle, and then was brought home by a double from third baseman Stephanie Thompson '13. Kate Strobel's '12 home run brought home Thompson.
Princeton's freshman pitcher Liza Kuhn went on to walk two batters and hit Chin with a pitch in the inning. Buoyed by two singles, the Bears racked up a 5-0 lead and went through their entire batting order before Princeton could stop them.
Despite being hit by a pitch, Chin did not allow the Tigers to score the entire game and gave up only four hits. But the Bears, likewise, were unable to score throughout the rest of the game.
"We were aggressive from the start. We had more focus in the beginning of the game," said Head Coach DeeDee Enabenter-Omidiji. "But sometimes we have a tendency to get too comfortable with the lead."
Princeton 6, Brown 5
But the Bears could not keep their focus in their second game against the Tigers and were unable to hold on to their lead late in the game.
Both Brown and Princeton scored a run early in the game, and it remained tied until the fourth inning, when catcher Amanda Asay '10 hit a home run. With two runners in scoring position and two outs, Rothamel doubled to center field for two RBI, giving the Bears had a solid 4-1 lead.
The Tigers leaped right back into the game with three runs of their own in the top of the fifth. Princeton loaded the bases off of two walks and a single, and Chin stepped in for pitcher Liz DiMascio '13. But Chin could not stop the Tigers like she did in the first game — a double brought in two of the runners and a follow-up single brought in another, tying the game, 4-4.
"We knew they'd come back and battle," Enabenter-Omidiji said. "It went back and forth, and we had a few opportunities to score, but we didn't cash in on those opportunities."
The Bears tacked on one more run at the bottom of the fifth, but allowed the Tigers to score one in both the sixth and seventh.
The team had trouble focusing in the second game because they had to play two games back-to-back, according to Enabenter-Omidiji. "Part of becoming a better team is the ability to focus no matter how many games you have to play in a day."
Cornell 8, Brown 0
After a scoreless first inning for both teams, Cornell scored three runs in the second off two home runs and a double. Though Chin managed to hold Cornell until the sixth inning, the Bears could not score.
"We left too many pitches up in the first game," Enabenter-Omidiji said. "But Chin did settle in. Even the Cornell coach said she did a great job making adjustments."
The Big Red rallied again in the sixth and scored five runs — and should have had six runs, but the last run was retracted because the player never touched home plate.
"We were not ready to play and there were no adjustments at the plate," Enabenter-Omidiji said. "But Cornell has decent batters. I tip my hat to good hitting."
Cornell 15, Brown 4
Unlike the first game, the Bears managed to score in the second, but Cornell capitalized on Brown's six errors. In addition to the errors, DiMascio threw a wild pitch and Asay allowed three passed balls in the second inning, which helped Big Red score six runs.
"When your pitcher gives up lots of hits, the defense tends to be a spectator," Enabenter-Omidiji said. "It's like you're sitting in cement."
Losing 15-4, Brown again cried mercy to Cornell, this time after only five innings.
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