Softball: Princeton drops both ends of midweek doubleheader

The only constant between the two games was the Tigers’ offensive production. Unfortunately for Princeton, four runs a game was not enough to stymie the more powerful Blue Devils, who entered the afternoon with seven players batting over .300. The Tigers only had four batters above that mark.

The score was back and forth for much of the first game, with the lead changing four times. Princeton took an early 1-0 lead on junior infielder Kelsey VandeBergh’s sacrifice fly in the first inning. It was VandeBergh’s team-leading 14th RBI of the season.

The Blue Devils struck back in the top of the third inning thanks to leftfielder Arielle Bruno’s 2 RBI home run over the centerfield wall. Down 3-1 in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Tigers found just enough offense to retake the lead after junior outfielder Nicole Ontiveros took the first pitch of the inning for an infield single. Sophomore pitcher Alex Peyton and sophomore outfielder Lizzy Pierce each contributed run-scoring doubles, the latter of which put the Tigers ahead 4-3.

After Central Connecticut State tied the game in the top of the seventh, the Tigers loaded the bases due to two fielding errors by the Blue Devils’ infield. Peyton could not find the game-winning hit, however, as her line drive was snagged down by second baseman Amanda Dilworth.

Dilworth added to her late-game heroics with a triple in the top of the eighth inning. She would eventually be batted home, giving the Blue Devils the lead. Solid pitching and fielding by the away team retired the first three Princeton batters in the bottom of the eighth, giving Central Connecticut State the extra-inning victory.

While the Tigers contained the Blue Devils’ offense in the opening game of the doubleheader, the story was much different in the second game.

Central Connecticut State jumped to a large early lead as it batted around the order twice in the second inning. A combination of 10 hits, including a grand slam from Dilworth, and two fielding errors yielded the visitors 17 runs. Eight different Blue Devils reached home twice in the remarkable inning. Sophomore pitcher Liza Kuhn was charged with 13 earned runs and was replaced without recording an out in the second frame.

The Tigers did their best to mount a comeback, scoring two runs in their half of the inning. Peyton led off with a solo home run, increasing her team-leading total to four, but it ultimately proved an insurmountable deficit. With the Blue Devils ahead 19-4 after five innings, the game was called as per official college softball rules. It was the fourth time this season the Tigers have been mercy-ruled.

The Tigers will open Ivy League play this weekend with doubleheaders against both Brown and Yale. All games will be played at home on Class of 1895 Field. The games against Brown begin at 1 p.m. Saturday, while the doubleheader against Yale is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. on Sunday.