Then the softball team takes the diamond at 1895 Field tomorrow it will face a dual threat from Harvard in sophomore hitting sensation Deborah Abeles and current Ivy League Pitcher of the Week Tasha Cupp.
Princeton (18-2 overall, 2-2 Ivy) must shut down Abeles and find a way to solve Cupp in order to defeat Harvard (18-17, 4-0) and keep any hope of winning the Ivy championship alive.
"(Harvard is) definitely one of our top competitors in the league," senior pitcher Alyssa Smith said.
A shortstop and the Ivy League Player of the Week for the second consecutive time, Abeles has batted 15 for 27 for the past six games, with a .556 average. She has scored eight runs and knocked in 10. In the Crimson's defeat of Brown last weekend, Abeles went 2 for 3 with two RBI and two runs scored in the first game.
Writing her name in
Last week, the sophomore drove in her 73rd career run, snapping Harvard's career record of 70 RBI. But her most impressive accomplishment of late was her home run last week against Boston University, which broke Harvard's career home run record with 10 and marked Abeles' seventh of the 1998 season.
The Crimson also boast a standout on the mound. Senior left-handed pitcher Tasha Cupp recorded three wins last week, pitching 20.2 innings. Against Brown she fanned six batters and allowed no runs in four innings and against Boston University struck out a season-high 12 batters in a shutout victory.
The Harvard team seems to be peaking as it hits the heart of its Ivy schedule. The Crimson has started off the Ivy season with its best run in school history and currently ranks second behind Cornell and one place above Princeton.
Backdraft
But the Tigers may have the firepower on the mound and at the plate to compete with the Crimson. Junior Lynn Miller is having a solid season with a 1.13 ERA in 15 starts. Her consistency was exemplified by Tuesday's wins over Rider, in which Miller started and won the first game and then entered the second in relief and eventually scored the winning run for the Tigers' offense.
Smith is also pitching well, throwing a no-hitter in last weekend's win over Penn. In order to prepare for the big-hitting Abeles and the rest of the Crimson, the Tigers' pitchers are concentrating on keeping the ball down in the strike zone.
"You don't want to give them anything that they can do anything with," Smith said.
Young guns
Offensively, the younger Tigers have been a force. Freshman catcher Devon Keefe was named the Ivy League Rookie of the Week for the past two times for her strong hitting.
Sophomore second baseman Kamilah Briscoe earned Ivy Honor Role honors this week for batting 7 for 17 with a .412 average with six RBI and four runs. Freshman third baseman Lauren Poniatowski had a .368 average last week, batting 7 for 19.
This weekend, Princeton will also host a weaker Dartmouth team. The Big Green (5-17-1, 1-3) have lost its last three games and should not present a difficult challenge for the more talented Tigers.
Read More
Women’s tennis claims Ivy League title in comeback thriller over Harvard
Josefina GurevichAfter a commanding win over Dartmouth gave women’s tennis the opportunity to play Harvard for the championship, they rallied from match deficits and an overall 3-1 Crimson lead to clinch the Ivy title and their fifth-straight trip to the NCAA tournament.
After a commanding win over Dartmouth gave women’s tennis the opportunity to play Harvard for the championship, they rallied from match deficits and an overall 3-1 Crimson lead to clinch the Ivy title and their fifth-straight trip to the NCAA tournament.
Princeton softball stands atop the Ivy League standings after defeating Yale
Dalynn HoltzclawThe Tigers sit two games ahead of second place and are on an eight-game winning streak. Should they finish as the No. 1 seed next weekend, they will host the Ivy League tournament.
The Tigers sit two games ahead of second place and are on an eight-game winning streak. Should they finish as the No. 1 seed next weekend, they will host the Ivy League tournament.
Princeton Men’s golf falls just short in Ivy League Championships
Matthew YiDespite coming close, a tough round three and poor weather conditions led to the Tigers losing to Yale in the men's Ivy League Golf Championships.
Despite coming close, a tough round three and poor weather conditions led to the Tigers losing out to Yale in the men's Ivy League Golf Championships.
