Softball is off to a strong start in Ivy League play. The team (4–15 overall, 2–1 Ivy League) went 2–1 with Brown (7–12, 1–2) over the course of two games on Saturday and a rescheduled game on Wednesday. Last Saturday, they quickly rebounded off an initial 0–5 loss, capturing a 7–1 win two hours later. The Wednesday victory was a nail-biter; the team came out strong in the first inning, but Brown caught up. Princeton’s only other home run came in the bottom of the sixth inning, when first-year outfielder Mackenzie Meyer hit a home run.
The team had a rough start in terms of wins and losses at the beginning of the season. They had 10 consecutive loses, coming in last at both the Grand Canyon Tournament and the George Washington Tournament.
“In terms of losing, I think that was all a part of the process. We played a lot of good teams in preseason, and it was good for us to figure out what needed to be fixed early in our season,” first-year infielder and outfielder Gianna Mavica said.
The team is very young; it boasts a strong first-year class, who is improving tremendously upon gaining collegiate experience. First-year Allie Reynolds has been a huge asset to the team as a pitcher; First-year Hannah Lutz has been a key infielder. However, the team has strong senior leadership from its captains: shortstop and second baseman Danielle Dockx, outfielder Kylee Pierce, and pitcher Ashley LaGuardia. Integrating the freshman into the team has been a process, which the upperclassmen have worked to facilitate.
“I love everyone on the team and had no problem fitting in. I think that this team has a lot of really strong players, and our biggest problem right now is working as a unit. We grew a lot as a team over spring break, and we continue to get better every day,” Reynolds said.
Mavica and Lutz echoed Reynold’s sentiment.
“Everyone on the team is super open, and we all have a great bond with one another,” Lutz said.
The team has several challenging matchups on the horizon. Next up is this weekend’s showdown at Harvard (10–11, 3–3). Another top Ivy League competitor is Dartmouth (8–12, 2–1).
The team is optimistic that they could capture the Ivy League title.
“I have a lot of confidence in this team’s abilities and our camaraderie, and I believe that we’ll be Ivy Champs 2018,” Mavica said.
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