Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

DOVER, Del. – Head coach Melissa Finley and the Colgate softball team needed one extra inning to secure a 3-2 win over Brown Saturday afternoon. The Raiders also dropped a 5-4 decision to Princeton in the first game of their doubleheader.

“It was good to see us come out on the winning end of a close game and winning in walk-off fashion is always a positive,” Finley said. “Brigit earned her first collegiate win and pitched a great game for us. Offensively we had a lot of people contributing and it was an all around team win.”

Colgate (3-15) notched its first extra innings win this season thanks to a sacrifice fly by sophomore Alyssa Chaulklin. She knocked in the winning RBI in the eighth inning, scoring rookie Alex Gadiano from third.

Brigit Ieuter got the start for the Raiders, earning her first career win. She gave up four hits and two runs during her eight innings of work. Ieuter also struck out five batters throughout her time on the mound.

Brown (4-7) saw Avery Silverstein register one hit, one run and one RBI in the game. Janet Leung added two hits while pinch hitter Sam Brady tallied one hit. Sarah Ropiak went 7.2 innings allowing five hits and three runs.

In the bottom of the first, senior Natalie Siedhof hit a two-run homer to left center to put the Raiders up 2-0. Tera Vaughn, who earned a walk on the previous at bat, also scored on the hit. Throughout the two games, Vaughn added three hits, one run and one RBI for Colgate.

Colgate was able to hold off the Bears until the top of the fifth inning when they tied the game at two a piece. With one out, Brady came in to pinch hit for Jen Kries, singling to right field. Kries came back in to pinch run for Brady and stole second. On the next at bat, Silverstein singled to left center, scoring Kries to cut the Raiders lead down to 2-1. After advancing to second and then third, Silverstein finally reached home to tie the game on a wild pitch.

Neither team was able to earn another run forcing the game into extra innings.

Extra Innings
Due to international rules, during extra innings each team is allowed one runner to start on second base to begin their at bat.

After the Bears failed to score in the top of the eighth, the Raiders converted on a sacrifice fly to right field for the win. Gadiano was placed on second to start the inning but then was advanced to third following a Ieuter sacrifice bunt. Chaulklin brought her home when she hit a sacrifice fly.

In the first game, the Raiders rallied back in the top of the fifth to tie the game at 4-4 but were unable to score the winning run in the remaining innings.

Princeton (14-8) got on the board early, scoring the game's first three runs. Rachel Rendina kicked off the Tigers first at bat singling to left field. She advanced to third following two bunts. Alex Peyton then reached on a throwing error, which allowed Rendina to score for the 1-0 advantage.

The Tigers added two more to their total after Nikki Chu and Danielle Allen scored in the second. Chu singled to left field and then advanced to second after a Maddie Cousens sacrifice bunt. She then moved to third following a wild pitch. The next batter, Allen walked and then stole second to have two Princeton runners in scoring position.

A Rendina single up the middle scored Chu and advanced Allen to third. Tory Roberts then grounded out to the shortstop for the second out but not before Allen reached home for the Tigers third run.

Colgate cut the Tigers lead down to 3-1 in the top of the fourth. Schlaefer got the Raiders off to a good start, after she singled to the shortstop. Vaughn followed that up by singling up the middle, advancing Schlaefer to second. Both moved up bases on a Princeton wild pitch. Marisa Dowling finally scored Schlaefer, when she hit into a sacrifice fly to center field. Dowling earned two hits and two RBI throughout the two games.

Princeton extended their lead back up to three when Rendina tripled to center field. Cousens, who had reached on a dropped fly two batters earlier, scored on the play.

The Raiders would not go away however, as they rallied in the fifth to tie the game. Dyson singled to third base, getting Colgate on base. Haley Fleming advanced her to second when she grounded out to third base. Dyson moved from second to third following a wild pitch before she scored off an Emmie Dolfi sacrifice fly.

Later in the inning, Siedhof and Schlaefer both earned walks to have two on with two outs. The next batter Vaughn singled down the left field line, which allowed Siedhof to score. After a pitching change Dowling singled to third base, scoring Schlaefer for the equalizer.

The Tigers retook the lead in the bottom of the sixth, following back-to-back doubles. Cousens doubled down the left field line, which allowed Chu to reach home after she had doubled to left center during the previous at bat.

Colgate was unable to find the tying run in the top of the seventh and fell to the Tigers for the second time in two days.

Megan Carnase pitched six innings for the Raiders allowing seven hits and five runs. Brown earned the win after she went 4.2 innings on the mound. She allowed five hits and four runs. Peyton came in for relief pitching 2.1 innings allowing only two hits.

The Raiders are back on the field tomorrow when they face Brown at 12:30 p.m. They follow that up with another matchup with Delaware State at 3 p.m. to close out the tournament.