The softball team could use a lesson in manners after the way it behaved at the George Mason Invitational Tournament over the weekend. The Tigers were fortunate enough to receive an invite to the tournament, yet they repayed the host Patriots with a 6-1 thrashing in their opening game.
Nothing makes a statement like downing the home team at its own tournament decisively, especially in front of all its supporters. Simply put, Princeton came ready to play on Saturday.
After they cruised past the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, 8-0, the Patriots (14-10 overall) got a rude awakening when they took the field against the Tigers (7-9).
Princeton got things started early when sophomore centerfielder Melissa Finley drew a walk in the first inning. Finley went on to score the first run of the game when freshman pitcher Erin Snyder hit a bullet up the middle.
The Tigers clung to their narrow 1-0 lead until the bottom of the third, when some timely Tiger hitting shattered George Mason's hopes for a comeback.
Once again it was Finley who got things going for Princeton, this time with a leadoff double. She crossed home plate again after the third batter of the inning, freshman shortstop Cristina Cobb-Adams, hit a single to right and extended the Tigers' lead to 2-0. Snyder then sent a shot to centerfield for a double, bringing Cobb-Adams home for the second run of the inning.
Consecutive singles by senior rightfielder Erin Valocsik and sophomore catcher Ty Ries grove in Snyder to give Princeton a commanding 4-0 lead. The Patriots third inning woes eventually came to an end, but not before Valocsik added insult to injury by beating out a throw to home for the Tigers' fourth run of the inning, giving Princeton a 5-0 lead.
In the top of the fourth, Snyder kept George Mason off the scoreboard Princeton added yet another run in the bottom of the inning. After bunting her way onto first base, sophomore outfielder Kristin Lueke touched home after Cobb-Adams hit a long single to left field to put the Tigers up by six runs.
Princeton never looked back after that. The Patriots added a run in the sixth inning, but by then it was too late — the Tigers had already locked up the victory.
Snyder struck out eight batters in seven innings and surrendered just one earned run en route to her third victory of the year.
Gluttons for punishment
In its second game of the George Mason Invitational, Princeton showed no signs of resting on its laurels as it stomped Norfolk State, 10-0. The Spartans (4-8, 1-5 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) were confused like a deer caught in headlights, as the Tigers had their way with them.After three innings without a run for either team, Princeton decided it had enough of seeing goose eggs on the scoreboard.
Three singles by Ries, sophomore rightfielder Nicole Davida and Lueke loaded the bases for Finley. Finley calmly delivered a hit to score Ries right before Cobb-Adams stroked a double to center to give the Tigers a 3-0 lead.
Norfolk State continued to be a glutton for punishment in the fifth and sixth innings, giving up four and three runs respectively to the hot hitting Tigers. If not for the mercy rule, the final score of this game would have been even more lopsided.
Against the Spartans, Princeton played as close to perfect as a team can get. In addition to having the offense firing on all cylinders, the Tigers' defense was equally as impressive due to a strong effort by junior pitcher Wendy Bingham.
Bingham hurled a complete game shutout while striking out four batters and allowing just three hits. For the second game in a row not a single Princeton fielder committed an error — no small feat versus any opponent.
All Sunday games, including Princeton's final contest, were cancelled due to weather — lucky for the University of Maryland Eastern considering how much of a roll Princeton was on this weekend.
The Tigers left the tournament undefeated and may have given the Patriots reason to pause before inviting Princeton back again next season.
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