Laundenslager leads softball to three-game sweep against Columbia

This past weekend, Princeton’s softball team (17–14 overall, 10–2 Ivy League) welcomed the Columbia Lions (10–18, 6–6) to Strubing Field for a three-game series. The Tigers went into the weekend tied with the Harvard Crimson atop of the Ivy standings, but left the weekend with sole possession of first place after a series sweep against the Lions.

“This 2023 team knows we have the pitching, hitting, defense, and competitiveness to accomplish great things,” senior pitcher Alexis Laudenslager told The Daily Princetonian. “We definitely feel good right now coming off a sweep and prepared to handle future challenges in Ivy play.”

Princeton opened game one with Laudenslager in the circle, and the Lions responded with sophomore Jordan Hill. The Tigers’ offense got off to a hot start, when senior leftfielder Serena Starks reached on an error, and junior shortstop Grace Jackson walked. With two runners on, the Lions were able to induce a double play, which left Starks at third with two outs.

From there, sophomore rightfielder Allison Ha stepped up with an RBI single to put the Tigers out in front in the first inning. The Tigers went on to extend their lead via a double from junior second baseman Cate Bade. In the second inning, a walk and a single with an error put two runners in scoring position for Starks, who came through with an RBI single, extending the lead to 3–0.

The Tigers struck once again in the third inning through an RBI single from senior catcher Ashley McDonald. While the Tigers were building a lead, Laudenslager was shutting down the Lions’ offense, allowing no runs in the first four innings.

“I think my game experience from last year has helped me to trust that even when I don’t have my best movement or command, I am still capable of beating any team,” Laudenslager told the ‘Prince.’ “Some days I don’t have a great warm-up, and staying calm and believing that what I have is enough has been critical to my performance in games.”

She added, “I am grateful to my catchers and coaches for always instilling confidence in me regardless of my pregame warm-up.”

The fifth inning saw more of the same for the Tigers, this time with first-year pinch hitter Abby Hornberger, whose RBI single plated two more runs and extended the lead to six. From there, a single from junior pinch hitter Caitlin Bish turned a six-run lead into seven for the Tigers.

In the sixth inning, junior pitcher Molly Chambers came in for Laudenslager, who threw five innings, allowing just two hits and no earned runs. Chambers did allow an RBI single in the sixth, but got out of the inning and went on to close out the seventh, securing a 7–1 win for the Tigers in the opening game.

Game two saw Tigers’ first-year pitcher Brielle Wright matched up against Lions’ junior Raquel Reyes. Similar to game one, the Tigers got on the board in the first inning, this time with an RBI single from first-year third baseman Julia Dumais.

After a quiet second inning, the Lions were able to tie the game at one in the third. The fourth inning saw no score, but the Lions managed to get out in front in the fifth, as a lead-off walk was followed by a run-scoring triple, and a run-scoring double, giving the Lions a 3–1 lead.

That would be the end of the day for Wright, as sophomore pitcher Meghan Harrington entered in relief with one out in the fifth inning. Harrington helped the Tigers escape any further danger, inducing an inning-ending double play from the first batter she faced.

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Now down by two late in the game, the Tigers needed to respond quickly. They managed to do just that when sophomore center fielder Lauren Sablone began the inning with a lead-off home run, shrinking the deficit to 3–2. From there, singles from Jackson and Ha put two runners on base for Dumais. Dumais came in clutch, with a home run down the right field line which emptied the bases and put the Tigers back in the lead at 5–3. From there, it was up to Harrington to close out the game. After a scoreless sixth inning, the Lions got a runner in scoring position in the seventh after an error.

After a hit by pitch and a double by the Lions, the Tiger lead stood at just one run, with runners on second and third and only one out. However, as she had done in the fifth, Harrington produced two outs to get out of a potentially dangerous inning and close out a 5–4 Tigers win in game two.

Eying a sweep, Princeton sent Laudenslager back to the circle in game three, and the Lions once again responded with Hill. The Tigers opened the scoring early after a double from Ha brought in two runs, and added on in the second inning with a single from Starks. They scored two more in the third via a sac fly from sophomore first baseman Sophia Marsalo and an RBI single from Hornberger, ending the third inning with a 5–0 lead.

On the other side of the ball, Laudenslager was dominant in the circle. Through the first three innings, the senior allowed no hits with five strikeouts, which included striking out the side in the second inning. In the fourth inning, the Tigers were held scoreless, but Laduenslager continued dicing through the Lions’ hitters, finishing the inning with two more strikeouts, bringing her total to seven.

In the fifth inning, Laudenslager recorded her eighth strikeout of the day. Through five innings, the senior had not allowed a hit.

In their half of the inning, the Tigers got on the board once more, this time through a single from sophomore pinch hitter Lauren Pappert, which scored two runs and extended the lead to seven. Later in the inning, with the bases loaded, Allison Ha sent everyone home early with an RBI single which gave the Tigers an eight run lead and triggered the run rule which automatically ended the game in the fifth inning.

Ha’s single also meant that Laudenslager finished the game with a solo no-hitter, her third of the year and the fifth of her career. She is the first pitcher in program history to accomplish either of those feats.

The sweep of the Lions sees the Tigers maintain their position as leader of the Ivy League standings at 10–2, one game ahead of the Harvard Crimson (18–10–1, 9–3). Princeton is next in action against the Cornell Big Red (9–17, 3–6). The Tigers will look to maintain their torrid pace, and potentially extend their 5 game win streak.

Tony Owens is a contributor to the Sports section at the ‘Prince.’

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