The softball team has a flair for the dramatic. Heading into this weekend's games against Dartmouth and Harvard, Princeton (20-16-1 overall, 10-3 Ivy League) had an opportunity to clinch a second consecutive Ivy League title. Three of the four games were decided by a single run, leaving the Tiger faithful on the edge of their seats for most of the weekend.
The Tigers managed to sweep the Big Green, 3-0 and 2-1, on Saturday but were then swept by the Crimson, 3-2 and 6-5, the next day. A split with Harvard would have secured another conference title, but now the Tigers will have to wait another day to claim what they have worked towards all season long.
The Tigers kicked off their home stand by handing Dartmouth (7-19, 4-8) a 3-0 loss Saturday afternoon. Princeton jumped on the Big Green early when sophomore second base Kristin Lueke scored two runs with a triple to deep center field in the bottom of the second inning. Lueke's blast brought in sophomore catcher Ty Ries and senior outfielder Erin Val-ocsik to put the Tigers ahead, 2-0. Ries got on base with a single to right, and Valocsik drew a walk prior to Lueke's two-run triple.
With freshman pitcher Erin Snyder on the hill, two runs were all Princeton would need to take the first game from Dartmouth. Snyder pitched a gem for the Tigers, striking out 10 batters and walking none in seven innings of work. She kept the Big Green batters on their toes for the entire game, never really getting herself into any trouble.
Princeton put the game out of reach when sophomore pitcher Melissa Finley drove in Lueke in the bottom of the sixth. The score would stay 3-0 as the Tigers cruised to victory in the first frame of the doubleheader.
Game two was equally as exciting as the first, as Princeton outlasted Dartmouth, 2-1, to claim the sweep. The Big Green took a 1-0 lead in the first inning after senior Carly Haggard scored on a double steal.
The Tigers did not hang their heads for long and evened the score at one when Lueke scored off a passed ball in the third. Lueke reached base after ripping a double to left field and advanced to third base on a single by junior pitcher/outfielder Wendy Bingham.
The wild pitch that scored Lueke proved all the more costly after Ries hit a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth to put Princeton ahead once and for all, 2-1. Finley held up her end of the bargain on the mound by striking out six batters in seven innings of play. Like Snyder in game one, Finley did not issue a single walk.
After the Dartmouth sweep, the Tigers were on the verge of repeating as Ivy League champions. The only thing standing in their way was Harvard (14-24, 6-6). Princeton jumped to a 2-0 lead in the fifth behind an RBI single by Lueke and a bases-loaded walk to Finley.
The Crimson evened the game with a two run double in the top of the sixth and then held the Tigers scoreless for the remainder of the contest. An error loaded the bases for Harvard in the top of the twelfth, and a subsequent single broke the stalemate. The Crimson wrapped up the 3-2 victory by retiring the side in order.
In game two the Tigers were again stunned by Harvard in extra innings, falling by just one run. Princeton carried a 1-0 lead into the top of the fifth, but then things started to unravel. The Crimson raced out to a 4-1 lead with an RBI double and a three run homer.
At this point things looked quite bleak for the Tigers, but they battled their way back into the contest. Finley knotted the score at 4-4 with a three run homer in the bottom of the fifth.
The ensuing deadlock remained until the top of the tenth when the Harvard bombers went deep one more time for a two run lead. The Crimson's second home run was the straw that broke the camel's back. The Tigers did add one run in the bottom of the tenth inning, when freshman third base Amanda Erickson hit a solo home run to make the score 6-5. But the tying run was stranded on second when Lueke struck out.
The Harvard sweep means the Tigers now must resume a suspended contest against Brown — they lead, 8-5, in the ninth. If they can hang on, Princeton will win the league; if not, a three-game playoff with Cornell will determine the league champion.
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