Box Score Webb, Grobman & Skinner All Homer
Yale used the long ball to earn a very important victory at Columbia. Allison Skinner's two-run home run in the top of the ninth inning lifted the Bulldogs to a thrilling 8-6 victory over the Lions in New York City.
Skinner's blast was Yale's third homer of the game. Giovy Webb started the scoring with a solo shot in the first, and first year Sydney Grobman went deep in the fourth for the first time in her young career.
Grobman was 3-for-5 on the day. Carlin Hagmaier also had three hits.
The Bulldogs had 11 hits in the game.
The score was tied at 3-3 after three innings. Yale then grabbed the lead with two runs in the fourth. Grobman's home run over the center-field fence got things started. With one out, Hagmaier tripled, and Kortney Ponce later delivered a clutch, two-out RBI single.
The Lions tied it with two runs in the bottom of the fifth.
Both teams had runners on base in the sixth and seventh innings but couldn't capitalize.
In the eighth, Hagmaier doubled home pinch-runner Phylicia Wilkov to snap the 5-5 tie.
Columbia, though, answered with a run in the bottom of the eighth to keep the game going.
In the ninth, Shelby Kennedy reached on an error to start the winning rally. Webb followed with a sacrifice bunt that moved Kennedy to second. After the second out, Skinner lifted a long fly ball down the left field line that just made it over the fence, setting off a celebration in the Yale dugout.
Columbia threatened in the bottom of the ninth, loading the bases with two outs, but Webb snared Madison Gott's line drive to center field to end the game.
Miranda Papes pitched 5.2 innings of relief to earn the victory. She struck out four.
The Bulldogs return to 5K Corral Field at DeWitt Family Stadium to host Cornell next Saturday in a doubleheader beginning at 12:30 p.m.
Report filed by Tim Bennett (timothy.bennett@yale.edu), Yale Sports Publicity
