Arc + speed + movement = strikeout

Now that the weather has finally changed and become seasonally-appropriate, baseball and softball season sounds about right.  Sports lover Max Rettig gives the latest exciting lowdown on these two teams—and more—below.

Baseball: The Lions swept Princeton in a display of offense and defense over the weekend, coming from behind in a 9-6 win and then following up with a 13-3 rout. In the day game, Jordan Serena and Rob Paller enjoyed three-hit performances, while reliever Thomas Crispi pitched five solid innings to earn the win. The Lions took the lead in the fourth inning and never really looked back. Rob Paller knocked in three runs, and Serena scored four times.

In the second game, the Lions collected 13 runs on 14 hits, along with eight walks, small-ball play, and strong base-running, to complement starter Kevin Roy’s fantastic showing. He finished with 7 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, and 6 K. The Lions are away, but still in New York, for the next five, with a game against St. John’s and a four-game set at Cornell. This is the first time the Lions have swept all four games against the Tigers since 1993, when Ivy League division play began.

The team is 16-15, 9-3 Ivy League.

Softball: The underhand-throwing Lions were not as fortunate as their overhand-throwing counterparts, getting swept by Princeton while scoring only two runs per game. Columbia fell victim to great Tiger pitching, and the Tigers took advantage of defensive ball-control problems to take the 3-2 win. Liz Caggiano was a bright spot for Columbia, homering in her third straight game. Tessa Kroll struck out five and allowed no runs, but nonetheless took the loss.

In the second game, Columbia allowed the Tigers to take an early lead, which Alyssa Rodia nearly erased, but her blast to center was caught near the wall. Kayla Shimoda led off the third inning with a round-tripper, but the Lions left women on base too often (11 overall), and Princeton took advantage of its opportunities to take the 6-2 decision.

The Lions are 16-18, 5-7 Ivy. They play Thursday at Saint Peter’s.

The men’s tennis team defeated Yale 4-0. The women’s team lost.

Men’s golf took fourth place at the Princeton Invitational.

Senior track athlete Marvellous Iheukwumere received an Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar of the Year honor for her superior athletic and academic performance. She has six Ivy titles, swept the indoor and outdoor Heptagonals in the sprint events, and owns the Columbia record for the indoor 60m with a 7.46 time.

Winning that pitcher-batter battle via gocolumbialions.com