Princeton takes doubleheader over Wildcats

“It feels great to get a couple of midweek wins under our belt,” junior shortstop and co-captain Kathryn Welch said.

The Tigers and Wildcats have faced each other every season since 1998. Both came into the afternoon with nearly identical records, but Princeton ended the evening with the upper hand and now holds a 20-14-1 all-time record against Villanova. This year continued a trend against home-team advantage, as the hosts have been swept three years in a row.

In the first game of the afternoon, Princeton defeated Villanova 6-4. Though the Wildcats outhit the Tigers 10-7, they also recorded three errors while Princeton maintained a perfect defensive record. Freshman third baseman Megan Weidrick was the first on base after she was walked, and she advanced to second on a wild pitch. Welch, who leads the team in doubles, struck another to send Weidrick home and put Princeton up 1-0. The Tigers relied on simple hits instead of dramatic home runs, scoring steadily with three more one-run innings and two runs in the sixth to seal the win.

“We had a lot more base hits today,” Welch said. “We did smaller stuff and got singles and doubles to take advantage of them.”

The small-ball approach built off the Tigers’ four wins last weekend over Columbia in which Princeton got runners on base with singles and doubles but drove them home on big bits from power hitters like sophomore right fielder Kelsey Quist, who leads the team in homers.

Villanova led only once during the seven innings. The Wildcats scored three runs in the bottom of the second to earn a 3-2 advantage, but Princeton responded in the top of the fourth to even it out and again in the fifth to retake the lead for good.

Welch ?— who was this week’s Ivy League Co-Player of the Week after batting .600 in six games last week — ? and sophomore second baseman Collette Abbott led the team with two hits and an RBI apiece. Senior Kristen Schaus pitched the first three innings, striking out two batters, and freshman Michelle Tolfa took to the mound in the bottom of the fourth.

In the second game, the Tigers were once again outhit by the Wildcats, but Princeton found a way to stay alive and come out with the win. The Tigers were the first to put numbers on the scoreboard, as freshman first baseman Kristin Arguedas slugged a two-run homer — ? Princeton’s 38th of the season — ? in the top of the second. Both teams’ defenses held strong until the bottom of the sixth when Villanova tied it up with two runs.

Tied at two, the game stretched into an extra inning. Villanova’s sloppy play allowed Princeton to score two in the top of the eighth, as the Wildcats walked two and hit Weidrick with a pitch to load the bases. Villanova’s pitcher walked Abbott, sending one Tiger home, and later the Wildcats committed their first error to give Weidrick an unearned run.

“In the eighth inning, we really rallied,” Welch said. “Everyone contributed to put together a couple of runs.”

Villanova fought back with a homer in the bottom of the eighth, but Princeton’s defense stayed strong as a Wildcat flied out to rightfield and Schaus struck out two to nab a 4-3 victory and a sweep of the Tigers’ Philadelphia foes. Schaus’ career strikeout tally is now at 794, just 25 under former teammate Erin Snyder ’06, who currently holds the record for most K’s.

“Today we made a pretty good effort,” Welch said. “It’s a good lead into the weekend.”