Softball: Rain puts a damper on team’s first games

The Tigers got off to a rough start in their first game, falling 7-2 to host UMBC (5-7). Princeton dug itself into an early hole, trailing 5-0 by the third inning. The Tigers were able to add two runs in the fifth, thanks to back-to-back doubles by senior outfielder Nicole Ontiveros and freshman catcher Cara Worden. But the Retrievers fired back with a game-sealing two-run homer off of junior pitcher Alex Peyton.

Despite losing by five runs, the Tigers only had one fewer hit than the Retrievers did, showing Princeton’s potential to improve its performance with runners in scoring position.

Saturday’s game against Niagara (1-8) played out much differently in what turned out to be a pitchers’ duel. In her first collegiate outing, freshman Meredith Brown pitched more like a veteran than a rookie, as she kept pace with Niagara’s Julie DiMatteo through five scoreless innings.

The Purple Eagles then broke the 0-0 tie in the sixth inning with a two-run homer by Becky Zill, and they went on to add two more in the seventh against junior reliever Liza Kuhn, bringing the score to 4-0.

Princeton did not go down easily, however, as the team staged a late rally in the seventh inning. With one out, the Tigers strung together three consecutive hits, the last of which was an RBI single by Ontiveros. Senior infielder Kelsey VandeBergh hit a big two-out double, driving in two more runs for the Tigers. Princeton was now one run away from tying the score at four apiece, but the rally ended short with a groundout back to the pitcher.

“A lot of us were bitter after dropping that game,” Peyton said. “We didn’t seem to come alive until the seventh inning, and we took our energy from the seventh inning of the Niagara game into the Iona game and played with lots of energy from the very beginning.”

The Tigers used that early energy to ultimately defeat Iona (7-6) by a 5-2 score. Peyton returned from a disappointing game against UMBC to pitch a complete game against the Gaels, earning her first win of the season.

“From the UMBC game to the Iona game, I felt better, already having pitched some innings,” Peyton said. “Going into the game with Iona, I knew I had to be sharp because they are very good and balanced hitters.”

On the final day of the tournament, Princeton lost another close game, falling 1-0 to Canisius (2-6). That lone run came in the first inning off of a Princeton fielding error, when VandeBergh mishandled a throw on a steal attempt at third base.

The error proved costly to the Tigers, as they could not get on the scoreboard for the entire game despite flawless pitching from Brown and Kuhn. Against the two pitchers, Canisius was only able to muster one hit.

Twice in the game Princeton threatened to rally, as Peyton led off the fourth inning with a single and VandeBergh doubled to open the sixth.

But the Tigers continued to struggle behind the plate with runners on base, stranding a total of six base-runners throughout the game.

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“After this weekend, we know we have the talent and tools to beat most teams,” Peyton said. “We just need to make sure we show up every day playing our hardest and bring lots of energy.”