Softball receives a not-so-warm Southern welcome

In what was more of an endurance test than spring training, the Princeton softball team substituted at-bats and game experience for wins. The team finished the week 4-10, but faced some of the strongest competition in the country.

The break enabled the team to discover which pitchers would help carry the load. Senior pitcher Brie Galicinao shouldered many of the innings for the Tigers (8-12), going 2-4 on the week. She is now 3-6 on the season. The Tigers also relied on sophomore Wendy Bingham and freshman Melissa Finley to pitch most of the other innings.

The offense was somewhat sporadic during the week. Galicinao, Bingham and sophomore Kristen Del Calvo led the team at the plate, but runs were often hard to find.Beginning with a doubleheader against Georgia Tech, Galicinao pitched the Tigers' first game. Playing with enthusiasm, the Tigers took an early lead. Down 4-0, the Yellow Jackets started stinging Princeton's pitching and scored five unanswered runs to win 5-4. Georgia Tech continued its roll to win the second game, 7-0.

On Monday, the Tigers split a double-header with the Lady Panthers of Georgia State. Galicinao started the first game and carried the Tigers to a slim 5-4 win. Del Calvo provided the offense for the Tigers, hitting two doubles. Bingham pitched a great game in the second game of the double-header. Allowing one run on six hits, her performance should have been enough to win the game, but the Tigers' offense never appeared, and the Lady Panthers won, 1-0.

The Tigers moved on to the Georgia Invitational, where they played two double headers. On both days, Princeton played Nicholls State and then No. 21 Georgia. The Tigers dropped both games on the first day of the tournament. Galicinao pitched a gem against Georgia, only allowing three runs against their potent offense, but the Tigers were unable to support her, and lost 3-0.

The second day of the Georgia Invitational went a little better for Princeton.

Galicinao pitched her first shutout of the year, beating Nicholls State 5-0, and the Tigers took the Bulldogs to extra innings, before losing 4-3.

Princeton again found its winning form against Mercer on Thursday. In a double header where both the hitting and the pitching were strong, the Tigers beat the Bears, 5-0, and 4-1. Finley's strong pitching, and Del Calvo's fifth home run of the season, and second in two days, won the first game for the Tigers. Senior Sarah Jane White had her first victory of the year, as she pitched the second game against Mercer. But the Mercer double-header would be the last wins of the week for the Tigers.

The last two days of the break were spent at the Georgia Tech Buzz Classic. Galicinao started the tournament, pitching in the first game against Ohio State. But the Buckeyes were too strong, beating the Tigers, 5-3. In the second game of the day, the Tigers lost to Central Florida, 6-3. Princeton took the Lady Colonials into the eighth inning tied at 2-2. But Central Florida exploded with three runs, and the Tigers were only able to answer with one.

Exhausted by Saturday, the Tigers faced UNC-Greensboro and then No. 20 Florida State. Greensboro shut out the Tigers, beating them 5-0.

Galicinao pitched her sixth game in seven days against Florida State. The Seminoles had no problem handling Galicinao's pitching, as Florida State hit three homeruns in the game. When it was over, the Seminoles came out with a 5-1 victory.