The softball team began spring break with just five games under its belt and has emerged from its nine-day, 13-game trip against seven tough California teams with some crucial experience. It was an up-and-down trip for Princeton (6-12), as its pitching was at times inconsistent and the bats occasionally sputtered against tough California arms.
“The whole point of coming out West is so that the team can find the confidence in competing at a higher level,” head coach Trina Salcido said. “We should come back and feel as though there’s no one who can beat us except for ourselves.”
Princeton began the trip by splitting games against Santa Clara (5-13), dropping the first game 8-6 but winning the second by the same score. Senior first baseman and co-captain Jamie Lettire led two strong offensive outings with two home runs in the twin bill, and the team collected a season-high 13 hits in the second game. Freshman pitcher Liza Kuhn picked up her first career victory in the circle.
The team’s offensive struggles began when it lost two games against San Jose State (22-7), falling 2-0 and 6-2. Freshman first baseman Alex Peyton picked up Princeton’s only two hits in the first game, as the group was unable to capitalize on a strong pitching performance by Lettire. The team picked up its only runs of the day off an RBI double by senior outfielder Kelsey Quist that tied the second game at 2-2 in the bottom of the first.
The Tigers had another rough day when they played a doubleheader against Colorado State (26-11-1) and Fresno State (19-11). Princeton had three hits and scored just one run in the two games, losing 9-1 and 10-0 in two five-inning losses.
After a rough four-game losing streak, the team was able to regain its footing with an impressive 5-4 comeback victory over Pacific (10-13) in the first game of another doubleheader. Lettire and Quist hit back-to-back home runs in the top of the sixth to bring Princeton within one, and RBI singles by sophomore outfielder Nicole Ontiveros and senior second baseman and co-captain Collette Abbott put it ahead by one. Peyton was then able to shut the door on Pacific, capping a complete game and earning her second win of the season.
The team fell to Pacific in a five-inning, 10-0 defeat in the afternoon game, however, picking up just one hit off the bat of junior third baseman Megan Weidrick.
“We just have to learn how to play both games, how to beat somebody and come right back and start again and continue with the momentum we’ve already created,” Salcido said about the loss.
Showcasing both offense and pitching, the Tigers did just that, coming back to sweep their twin bill against St. Mary’s (11-10) and Santa Clara on Friday with two very different yet impressive performances.
Peyton pitched a commanding five-and-two-thirds innings against St. Mary’s, holding the Gaels’ bats scoreless on just two hits. Lettire closed out the game for Princeton and, after reaching third base on a double by Quist, scored the game’s only run on a St. Mary’s throwing error in the bottom of the seventh.
Princeton’s bats returned for the team’s third game against Santa Clara, as the Tigers won 12-3. Ontiveros and Abbott picked up three hits each at the top of the Princeton order, and freshman outfielder Candace Button hit the first home run of her career when she appeared as a pinch hitter in the sixth inning.
“Winning that first game just set a tone, and the girls got out early in the second game and just kept scoring and scoring and were able to win the second game 12-3,” Salcido said.
With momentum from Friday’s victories, Princeton came out of the gate strong on Saturday, leading 5-4 after six innings against Cal Poly (10-8). The Mustangs were able to manufacture a run in the seventh inning on a walk, a sacrifice bunt and a double, sending the game into extras. Princeton scored on an RBI single by Weidrick in the eighth but allowed two to cross home in Cal Poly’s half of the tiebreak, losing 7-6.
The team was no-hit in its last afternoon game by No. 10 Stanford (18-3) and pitcher Teagan Gerhart. The near-perfect game was the second such outing in Gerhart’s current three no-hitter streak. Lettire reached base on an error by the Cardinals’ shortstop and was Princeton’s only baserunner of the day.
The Tigers ended the trip on a positive note, beating Santa Clara 6-3 for their third win in four games against the squad. Lettire hit her team-leading sixth home run of the season, and Kuhn pitched a strong complete game for her third victory of the season.
The team’s success against Santa Clara was just what Salcido had hoped for.
“We strategically planned to play doubleheaders and to play Santa Clara four times, because that’s what you have to do in the Ivys,” she said.
Princeton is excited to kick off the main part of its season after a positive, if trying, experience on the West Coast. The Tigers play their first home games of the year against Rutgers in a Saturday doubleheader.
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