Softball: Princeton splits road trip to N.C.

Freshman outfielder Nicole Ontiveros singled in the winning run in extra innings to give Princeton (3-3) its first win of the weekend, an 8-7 thriller over Georgetown (2-11). The Tigers split their four games at the tournament, defeating Georgetown and Elon (5-8) before falling to Michigan State (8-8) and the host, No. 15 Tar Heels (19-3).

Against the Hoyas, Princeton announced its presence early, scoring two first-inning runs off a home run from senior infielder Kathryn Welch. The shortstop had a productive weekend, sending two balls out of the park and notching seven RBI over the four games.

After holding Georgetown scoreless in the first three innings, sophomore starting pitcher Michelle Tolfa began running into trouble. A single and a steal by Georgetown designated player Olivia Newhouse gave the Hoyas a runner in scoring position, and they capitalized two batters later on a sacrifice fly from infielder Kelsie Hanson.

Georgetown scored again in the top of the fifth inning on a sacrifice fly from pitcher Mackensey Carter. With the score tied at two, Princeton responded forcefully in the bottom of the inning.

Sophomore infielder Kristin Arguedas kicked it all off with a double to centerfield. Junior infielder Collette Abbott, the next batter, laid down a sacrifice bunt that allowed Arguedas to advance to third. Carter hit freshman pinch hitter Kelsey Vandebergh and walked Ontiveros, loading the bases for the Tigers. Senior outfielder Brianna Moreno capitalized on the opportunity with a single up the middle that plated two runs. A Welch double later in the inning scored Ontiveros and Moreno, and junior outfielder Kelsey Quist kept it rolling with a single that scored Welch.

The five-run barrage gave the Tigers a lead they would not hold for long. In the top of the sixth, the Hoyas began chipping away at the lead with a steady stream of singles. Three consecutive hits knocked Tolfa out of the game, and Georgetown greeted her replacement— junior pitcher Jamie Lettire— with yet another single. The biggest blow was a bases-loaded double from Carter that scored three runs, and the Hoyas ended up with a five-run frame of their own.

The tie at seven held until the bottom of the eighth inning. After a sacrifice bunt and a pop-out in foul territory, Ontiveros stepped to the plate with two outs and the game on the line. Her walk-off single to left field plated Lettire and gave Princeton the win.

“While taking my swings before stepping into the batter’s box … I saw myself taking the pitch and line-driving it hard somewhere,” Ontiveros said. “The moment the pitcher released the ball from her hand, I got excited — a ball on the outside corner of the plate that I was able to line between third and short.”

The Tigers won another nail-biter on Saturday, a 7-6 victory over Elon. The Tigers and the Phoenix matched each other blow for blow early in the game, with both squads scoring two runs in the second inning and three runs in the fourth.

Elon broke the pattern in the fifth inning. After the Tigers failed to score in the top of the frame, the Phoenix plated a run in the bottom of the fifth on a throwing error. The run may have been unearned, but it was still good for a 6-5 lead. Princeton, however, responded quickly. Singles from Welch and Lettire in the top of the sixth set up Arguedas, who laced a double down the leftfield line to pick up two more RBI and give the Tigers their winning margin.

After starting the weekend so well, Princeton stumbled in its final two games. The Tigers and Spartans faced off in a duel of power-hitting teams that ended in a 5-4 victory for Michigan State.

Welch put Princeton on the board first with a big three-run home run in the third inning, and the Tigers seemed poised to score again in the fourth after they opened the frame with two consecutive doubles from Lettire and Abbott. The Spartans replaced starting pitcher Lauren Kramer with Megan Hair, however, and Hair worked her way out of the jam.

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Inspired by Hair’s herculean effort, Michigan State scored four runs in the bottom of the frame to take a 4-3 lead. Lettire tied the game in the sixth by homering on a 1-0 pitch, but Kramer responded with a home run of her own in the bottom of the inning that gave the Spartans the 5-4 win.

By Sunday morning, Princeton seemed to have run out of gas, falling 11-0 to a Tar Heel squad that already has 22 games under its belt this season. UNC starter Danielle Spaulding toyed with the Tigers in the circle, hurling five scoreless innings, striking out 11 and giving up only two hits.

“Overall, I think the weekend proved to be a great learning experience,” Ontiveros said. “We were able to face great competition and discover where our strengths and weaknesses lie.”

The outcome of these early-season contests may be deceiving. Last year, Princeton went 3-17 in their first 20 contests before Ivy League play began, and it won the league title. So in that context, the Tigers have actually gotten off to a relatively fast start against teams that have played many more games.