Softball remains on top of Ivy League, going 3-1 on weekend

Control of your own destiny is something that every team wants to have when it comes to a championship.

The women's softball team knows that if it wins out, it will win at least a share of the Ivy title. The Tigers split two games with Harvard on Saturday, and swept Dart-mouth in Han-over on Sunday to remain atop the Ivy League standings.

The games against Harvard (21-7 overall, 7-1 Ivy League) were a bitter battle between the two top teams in the Ivy League. Princeton (23-15, 9-1) had a one game lead over the Crimson, and kept that advantage with the split.

There was no letdown the next day against the Big Green as Princeton won 9-1 and 5-1.

Both games against Harvard came down to the wire, and in the first contest Princeton was able to shut the door in the bottom of the seventh, while in the second, Harvard walked off in dramatic fashion.

Senior pitcher Brie Galicinao tossed a complete game while allowing only three runs and striking out seven, helping Princeton to win the first game 4-3.

Offensively, Princeton took advantage of two costly errors by the Crimson to build a 4-0 lead through the top of the fifth inning.

In the fourth, freshman third baseman Becky Nemec doubled to the gap in left-center. She then advanced to third on a passed ball. Two outs later, junior designated hitter Mackenzie Forsythe ripped a single to right field to score Nemec.

Princeton did most of its damage in the fifth inning. The Tigers opened with three singles to load the bases. Senior shortstop Kim Veenstra then hit a routine grounder to Harvard third baseman Breanne Cooley, who misplayed the ball. Galicinao and freshman second baseman Kristin Lueke scored on the play. Princeton added one more run later in the inning on a single by junior outfielder Erin Velocsik.

The second game against Harvard was a back and forth battle. Harvard jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the third, but Princeton responded. The Tigers scored one run in the fourth and three more in the sixth to build a 4-2 lead. They held that lead heading into the bottom of the seventh.

To that point, freshman pitcher Melissa Finley played an excellent game, allowing only one run on four hits.

Harvard, however, caught fire in the seventh. Finley recorded one quick out, but the Crimson then hit four straight singles to cut the lead to one and load the bases. Coach Maureen Davies '97 decided to go with sophomore Wendy Bingham to try and close out the game. Bingham got the first batter she faced to hit a chopper back to the mound and Bingham got the force at home.

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With two outs however, Harvard's Tiffany Whitten hit a walk off home run to win the game for Harvard.

"I really think we played well today," said Davies. "I'm proud of our girls and how they came back from a 2-0 deficit. To come back like that and to lose the way we did was just heartbreaking."

Princeton came out fired up and had the pitching and the offense working together against Dartmouth. The offense scored nine runs on 14 hits. Meanwhile, Galicinao allowed only one run on five hits while striking out five.

The offense started slowly, plating its first run in the third, but then caught fire as it posted three more in the fourth and fifth innings. The game ended early when Princeton scored two more in the sixth for a 9-0 advantage. Dartmouth added a lone run in the bottom half of that inning.

In the second game against Dartmouth, it was Finley who pitched the complete game for the win. Princeton jumped to a 1-0 lead in the second when Forsythe singled in Veenstra. After Dartmouth tied the game, a Veenstra double in the third scored Lueke to win the game.