Softball: Doubleheaders kick off Ivy League competition

Senior pitcher Michelle Tolfa stressed the importance of concentration for the start of Ivy League play.

“I think that as a team we have the potential to be incredibly successful in Ivy League play, so long as we can keep the intensity and focus consistent throughout every inning of every game,” Tolfa said.

Brown and Yale are two strong Ivy opponents. The Bears’ offense is led by third baseman Stephanie Thompson, who has hit eight home runs and driven in 15 runs. Thompson leads the Ivy League with a .553 batting average and a 1.106 slugging percentage.

Second baseman Jen Kries is fourth on the league table in hitting at .375, albeit with less power. As a team, the Bears have a .346 on-base percentage.

Yale features a more balanced roster, ranking fourth in the league in both batting average and ERA. The Bulldogs have hit four home runs total and boast a .336 on-base percentage.

Second-year players have played key roles in Princeton’s lineup. Sophomore outfielder Lizzy Pierce and sophomore catcher Sarah Rounsifer lead the team in batting average at .356 and .355, respectively. Sophomore pitcher and first baseman Alex Peyton has belted a team-high four homers and driven in 13 runs.

Junior third baseman Kelsey Vandebergh leads the team with 14 RBI. The Tigers have a .341 on-base percentage so far this season.

Princeton has been led defensively by its strong pitching group. Peyton and Tolfa have split the lion’s share of the time on the mound this season. Each has thrown at least 50 innings and each has an ERA in the fours, while sophomore Liza Kuhn had a mark near that range before she was tagged for 13 runs in one inning on Wednesday.

“This season, I feel very confident as a pitcher,” Tolfa said. “As part of a great pitching staff, we work very well together and are able to pick each other up in a game when needed. The mutual trust between Liza, Alex and myself is something I think will really help us to stay sharp defensively.”

The Tigers enter league play on a three-game losing streak, with a doubleheader sweep at the hands of Central Connecticut State following a close loss to Marist.

Princeton led the Blue Devils late in the first game, but the visitors forced extra innings and eventually won 5-4. The Tigers were mercy-ruled in the nightcap after allowing 17 runs in the second inning.

“The one thing we could do better is finishing teams off when we take the lead,” Rounsifer said. “We have been ahead early in many games and just have to learn to continue fighting until the last out.”

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This weekend’s games come in the middle of a 10-game home stand at Class of 1895 Field.

The Tigers split with Brown last season, winning the nightcap 6-5 to snap an 11-game losing streak. They were swept by the Bulldogs the following day, however, allowing 19 runs in 12 innings at Yale.

“As we head into Ivies, we really need to focus on keeping it simple and doing the small things right in order to achieve our loftier goals,” junior outfielder Nicole Ontiveros said. “We play each Ivy at least twice, facing some teams four times, so it is really important that we come out aggressive and learn the strengths and weaknesses of each of our opponent's hitters and fielders early on. If we stay within ourselves and focus on winning every inning, we will be victorious at the end of the day.”

The end goal of 20 conference games is a spot in the Ivy League Championship Series Tournament, which will be held on the weekend of May 7.