Tigers drop 12 games on West Coast trip

Princeton’s marathon began with the daunting task of taking on the No. 25 California Bears (29-9). The Tigers fell 11-2 in five innings, as a seven-run fourth inning proved to be the difference. Berkeley first baseman Sanoe Kekahuna hit a grand slam in the fourth, her seventh long ball of the season.

In their second March 14 matchup, the Tigers held a late lead over Sacramento State (18-10) on the strength of a sacrifice fly by junior shortstop Kathryn Welch and a two-run home run from sophomore rightfielder Kelsey Quist. Princeton had two outs and multiple two-strike counts in the top of the seventh and final inning but was unable to close the door. Senior starter Kristen Schaus, who had thrown five scoreless innings before the seventh, gave up consecutive RBI singles to Hornets leftfielder Izmena Cabrera and third baseman Rachel Miles, and the Tigers ultimately fell 4-3.

The next day, Princeton held on to an early advantage to outlast Colorado State (17-11) in a 6-4 victory. Sophomore starting pitcher Jamie Lettire shined against the Rams, knocking in three crucial runs and picking up the win with seven innings of three-run ball.

The Tigers were not able pick up a second win on the day, however, despite home runs by Quist and Lettire. Cal Poly (12-13) defeated Princeton 5-4 on a walk-off home run. Schaus again suffered the loss despite pitching well, as she struck out nine batters and allowed only five hits before the decisive blow.

On March 16, the Tigers stretched No. 8 Oklahoma (27-8) to the limit before falling 4-3. Schaus pitched well, striking out eight in a complete-game effort. After a Welch homer in the fourth and three singles in the fifth, Princeton carried a fragile 3-2 lead into the sixth frame. The upset was not to be, however, as the Sooners came right back with a two-run burst to squeak by Princeton.

After a two-day respite, the Tigers faced Pacific (18-18) — also the Tigers — in a Wednesday doubleheader. The West Coast cats prevailed over those from the Eastern seaboard, with Pacific pitching taking top billing by holding Princeton to three runs in the two games. An early six-run spurt provided the offense for Pacific, as it defeated Princeton 6-1 in the first game. The second game, a 3-2 Tiger loss, featured six no-hit innings from Pacific’s Alyce Jorgensen. In the seventh, Quist doubled to break up the no-hitter, but the Tigers could not overcome their early deficit.

Thursday was an equally challenging day for Princeton, as Brigham Young (18-12) pitching held the Tigers to only one run. The Cougars scored in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings en route to a 6-1 victory.

Continuing the trend, East Carolina (23-13) silenced Princeton’s bats in an 8-0 shutout the next afternoon. Tiger pitchers struggled all day, surrendering eight earned runs in the defeat.

The second matchup of the day, against Wisconsin (10-21), showcased the potential of freshman starting pitcher Michelle Tolfa, who carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning. Princeton held a 1-0 lead in the fifth before giving up two runs to drop the game, 2-1.

Heading into their two Saturday games, the Tigers knew they would face a pair of strong opponents: East Carolina and No. 5 Stanford (31-2). While Princeton fared better against the Pirates in its second game in as many days, the Orange and Black ultimately lost, 5-1. Sophomore infielder Collette Abbott’s RBI double was the Tigers’ sole offense.

In the second half of the doubleheader, the Cardinal proved that it deserves such a lofty national ranking. Over five innings, Stanford plated 10 and surrendered none. Cardinal pitcher Ashley Chinn, a rookie, retired all 15 Tiger hitters she faced in a five-inning perfect game.

The final game of the stretch was a rematch with Wisconsin. Princeton again held a late-game lead against the Badgers, going up 2-0 on junior outfielder Erin Miller’s RBI single. The Orange and Black was unable to close out the last frame, however. Reminiscent of the first meeting between these two teams, Wisconsin scored the deciding runs late. In this case, a three-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh sealed the deal, as the Tigers fell 3-2.

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In one bright spot for the Tigers, freshman infielder Kristen Arguedas was named Ivy League Rookie of the Week, the first Ivy honors garnered by a Tiger this season.