Softball: 1st home contests open league slate

The Tigers got off to a slow start this year, dropping seven of nine games over the course of two trips to tournaments hosted in Maryland earlier this spring. They managed to take their second game against Rhode Island with a score of 9-4 and also beat Iona the week before for the second year in a row. The difficult beginning continued into the Tigers’ extended 10-game schedule in California, where its only win came against Colorado State, 5-3.

Princeton has traditionally used its break trip more to prepare for Ivy League play than to collect victories, however. On the West Coast, the Tigers proved they could compete with tough opponents, with five of their nine losses coming by a single run. Princeton will try to take the experience of those tight defeats into its first home games of the season.

One of its threats at the plate is senior outfielder Nicole Ontiveros, who was named second-team All-Ivy last year. Princeton’s leadoff hitter has taken charge for the Tigers’ offense, leading the team with a .344 batting average and a .563 slugging percentage, as well as two homers and a team-high 16 runs.

After being named to the All-Ivy first team last year, senior infielder Kelsey VandeBergh has the team’s third-highest batting average this spring at .306. These two veterans are joined at the top of the lineup by freshman shortstop Alyssa Schmidt, who is currently batting .314.

Princeton graduated only two players last year and gained six freshmen this season, giving the team an interesting dynamic of veterans and rookies.

“Being a freshman on the softball team is awesome. From day one on campus it was like I had an immediate family,” freshman first baseman Libby Crowe said. “It’s one of those relationships where you feel as if you’ve known everyone for their entire lives.”

Three rookies have been part of the Tigers’ everyday lineup: Schmidt, catcher Cara Worden and left fielder Rachel Rendina. Freshman pitcher Meredith Brown has posted the team’s best ERA to this point, at 4.15.

“Since there are six freshmen, we all bring something different to the table, and I think that’s what makes us such a great class. We’re all really different players so we cover every position on the field — two infielders, two pitchers, one catcher and one outfielder. I think that’s really unique for a class but also at the same time uniting.”

Looking to avenge their losses in California, the Tigers look forward to beginning Ivy League play with a doubleheader against Dartmouth on Friday at 2 p.m.