Galicinao named Ivy League Pitcher of the Year again for softball

When the All-Ivy teams were announced yesterday afternoon, what Princeton knew all along was reaffirmed — softball is a team game.

After finishing with a 13-1 Ivy League record and the most league wins in team history, the Tigers were snubbed in favor of Harvard, which had the most players on the first and second teams.

Senior pitcher Brie Galicinao won Ivy League Pitcher of the Year honors for the second year in a row — the first time in conference history. In addition, Galicinao was a first-team All-Ivy selection for the third year in a row.

She was one of only three unanimous selections after going 7-0 in Ivy League play with a miniscule ERA of 0.69 and a league-best 51 strikeouts. Overall her record was almost as remarkable, as she posted a 16-7 record and a 1.43 ERA.

Galicinao was not only a force on the mound, but she was also a beast at the plate. She holds the team's highest batting average (.354) and on-base percentage (.400).

In addition, she provided plenty of senior leadership by doing exactly what was needed of her. When Princeton was struggling to score runs, she moved to the leadoff position and got the offense back on track.

Princeton's only other first-team selection was sophomore first baseman Kristin del Calvo. Del Calvo was also a unanimous selection for first-team honors. She hit .344 on the year with a school record 12 home runs and 41 RBI.

Del Calvo led the team in RBI and was second in batting average. Her contributions were most important in carrying the Tiger offense on days when the rest of the lineup was not getting the job done. Princeton won numerous low-scoring games in which del Calvo was the difference.

Princeton also placed three players on the second team — freshman second baseman Kristin Lueke, junior outfielder Erin Valocsik and freshman pitcher Melissa Finley. Finley was the Tigers' second starter for the entire second half of the season.

At no point in the season did she allow the pressure of pitching behind Galicinao affect her game. She finished the season with a 7-5 record and an ERA of 2.40. More important was her 4-0 league record.

Lueke provided solid defense for the Tigers and was a crucial part of the team's top-ranked defensive unit. Lueke started the season at shortstop to fill in for injured senior shortstop Kim Veenstra. When Veenstra came back from injury, Lueke then switched back to second. She also hit .280 on the year and was second on the team with 25 runs scored.

Valocsik was Princeton's final second-team member. She did not get much playing time at the beginning of the year, but when she was inserted into the lineup during the middle of the season, she made the most of her opportunities and earned herself a spot in the starting lineup.

Get the best of the ‘Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

Valocsik was willing to do whatever the team needed, whether it be getting on base (eight walks in 87 AB) or moving runners along (four sacrifice bunts).

Sophomore pitcher Wendy Bingham, freshman third-baseman Becky Nemec and freshman catcher Ty Ries all earned honorable mentions for their efforts this season.

Despite the individual accolades, the Tigers know that it was team play that got them to where they are — the only team in the Ivy League who is still playing.

The Tigers have two games against Army this Friday before seedings for NCAA Regionals are announced May 12 at 9:00 p.m. on ESPNews.