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Softball rallies from seven point deficit, but Monmouth survives

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The softball team (5–21 overall, 3–6 Ivy) struggled to find its rhythm early in its match against Monmouth (13–13) on Tuesday. Despite a rally late in the game, the Tigers were unable to cut the deficit as the Hawks ended the game with a 13–7 win.

The Tigers hit a wall early in the game, hitting just one single in the first three innings. Monmouth, on the other hand was red-hot, registering a single, four walks, and two wild pitches resulting in four runs. The Hawks added to the advantage with a solo home run in the second inning. By the fourth inning, it seemed Monmouth would dominate the rest of the game with a commanding 7–0 lead.

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Princeton finally put itself on the scoreboard after a pair of hits from first-year outfielder Mackenzie Meyer and junior catcher and first baseman Keeley Walsh led to the Tigers’ first score. With a run under its belt, the Orange and Black seemed to have found its rhythm in what would be a massive fifth inning. The Tigers would go on to score six unanswered runs. The highlight was Walsh’s three-run homer that tied the game at seven apiece. Showing their resilience, the Tigers had fought their way back to even terms by the end of the fifth inning, after a slow start to the match.

However, the comeback appeared to have taken everything out of the Tigers, as Princeton remained scoreless for the rest of the game. Monmouth, on the other hand, came back with a surge. The response from the Hawks started in the sixth inning. Walks continued to plague Princeton as four free passes led to yet another Monmouth point. The Hawks held a narrow 8–7 lead heading into the seventh.

Just as the Tigers found their rhythm in the fifth inning, the Hawks ended the game on a high note, scoring five times to end the match. A three-run homer from Monmouth’s Alex Holzman gave the Hawks a commanding lead, pushing the Monmouth advantage to 13–7.

Despite the score line, Princeton showed flashes of brilliance in their first non-conference home game of the season. The Tigers managed to rally from a 7–0 deficit although they were unable to hold off Monmouth’s runs later in the match.

Princeton’s next game will be part of a three-game series against Ivy League rival Yale (8–22, 4–8). A win could move the Tigers up in the Ivy League standings as the Bulldogs sit directly above the Tigers in the Ancient Eight. The team will travel to New Haven, Conn., this Saturday to begin the three-game matchup.

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