Courtesy: Princeton Athletic CommunicationsCOLLEGE PARK, Md. -- The Princeton softball team had a big first inning in each of its two games at Maryland's tournament Saturday, but Rhode Island and the host Terrapins each rallied for wins.
Game 1: Rhode Island 7, Princeton 4
Junior Alex Peyton blasted a three-run home run in the first inning against Rhode Island, but the Rams (4-9) crept back and pulled ahead over the middle innings in a 7-4 win.
Alyssa Schmidt went 2 for 4 in the loss, while Nicole Ontiveros drove in Princeton's (1-6) last run in the seventh inning.
Peyton took the loss in the circle to drop to 1-2 on the season, giving up five hits and two walks while striking out five in five innings of work. Liza Kuhn threw two innings in relief, giving up three hits and a pair of runs, striking out three.
Game 2: Maryland 10, Princeton 6
Alex Peyton again homered in the first inning, this time blasting a grand slam to spot Princeton four runs before Maryland chipped away and pulled ahead in a 10-6 win.
Peyton's home run was her first grand slam as a Tiger and the team's first since April 3 of last season against Yale, when Kelsey VandeBergh had one.
Princeton (1-7) went ahead 6-1 after a bases-loaded walk to Cara Worden in the third and a Nikki Chu RBI-double in the fourth. Maryland (14-6) began its comeback with two runs in the fourth and two more in the fifth to pull within 6-5. The Terrapins posted a five-run sixth to make the 10-6 final.
Meredith Brown gave up eight hits and five runs, walking three in four innings of work before giving way to Liza Kuhn (0-2), who gave up five runs, four earned, on four hits while striking out three in two innings of work.
Princeton will close its play in the Maryland Round Robin Sunday with an 11 a.m. game against Rhode Island.
