NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Ella Cross walked it off in the bottom of the seventh inning to lift the Yale softball team to a thrilling victory over Columbia. The Bulldogs improved to 18–18 overall and 6–6 in Ivy League play, while the Lions dropped to 12–13 overall and 6–3 in the conference.
Game Summary
- B1 | Isabella Fortini got things going for Yale with an RBI triple to right-center field.
- T2 | Columbia responded with an RBI single to right field to tie the game.
- B2 | The Bulldogs bounced back quickly in the bottom half of the inning. Elena Ohe delivered a sacrifice fly to regain the lead, and Sophie Woodridge followed with an RBI single to left, pushing Yale's lead to two. (Yale 3, Columbia 1)
- T3 | The Lions cut the deficit to one with an RBI single to left. (Yale 3, Columbia 2)
- B5 | The score held until the fifth, when Yale struck again. Back-to-back singles from Ella Gandolfo and Isabella Fortini put two runners on. Lauren Perren drove in Gandolfo with a single to right, and Ella Cross added a sacrifice fly to score Yale's fifth run. (Yale 5, Columbia 2)
- T6 | Columbia rallied with three runs in the sixth to tie the game. (Yale 5, Columbia 5)
- B7 | Isabella Fortini led off with a double to put the game-winning run on base. With two outs and the pressure on, Ella Cross ripped a hard-hit ball to Columbia's second baseman, scoring Fortini and clinching the walk-off win for the Bulldogs.
Bulldog Notes
- Yale honored its nine-member senior class prior to the start of the game: captain SJ Mull, Katie Donahey, Alex Perren, Mady Smith, Sophie Woodridge, Lauren Perren, Maddie Latta, Hannah Turner, and student manager Grayson Vives.
- Isabella Fortini had a standout performance, going 4-for-4 with a triple, two doubles, two runs, and one RBI.
- Ella Gandolfo went 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
Looking Ahead
Yale will play its final non-conference game on Wednesday, April 9 at Fairfield. Following that, the Bulldogs will head to Cambridge, Mass., for a three-game Ivy League series against Harvard on April 12–13.
