On a cold and rainy weekend in Cambridge, the Princeton softball team (16–11, 5–4 Ivy League) lost two out of three games against the Harvard Crimson (15–13, 6–6). The series was a rematch of last year’s Ivy League Tournament final, where the Crimson emerged victorious following a hard-fought two-game series. Harvard ended up earning the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, further heightening the emotion of the weekend.
“Every year is a new slate,” junior utility Sophia Marsalo told the Daily Princetonian. “We always want to beat Harvard, alike any other Ivy League team. But, we did not put any extra weight on this series due to last year’s season.”
Tigers fail to hold an early lead in game one loss
Princeton started the first game of the weekend hot, scoring two runs in the first inning. Junior center fielder Lauren Sablone singled to drive in first-year infielder Sonia Zhang, before scoring on a fielder’s choice from first-year infielder Allie Goodwin.
Mid 1st | Princeton 2, Harvard 0
— Princeton Softball (@PUSoftball) April 6, 2024
Three hits in the inning as we get two runs to take the early lead! Lauren Sablone had an RBI and an Allie Goodwin ground ball brought home another.
💻: https://t.co/LVutTz3pcL pic.twitter.com/ypeqMVbCso
Harvard got one run back in the bottom of the inning, but first-year pitcher Cassidy Shaw escaped more trouble with a strikeout.
The Tigers were disciplined in the second, drawing three walks and loading the bases for Sablone, who tripled to drive in three.
After a sacrifice fly from sophomore catcher Julia Dumais, the Tigers were up 6–1 and seemingly on their way to an easy victory. The Crimson, though, rallied to score four in the bottom of the second.
After a quiet third inning, the Tigers had runners on the corners with two outs in the fourth, but first-year pinch hitter Karis Ford struck out swinging to end the inning. Harvard jumped on their opportunity in the bottom half of the fourth, scoring five runs. Only three of them were earned, as two uncharacteristic errors cost Princeton.
The Crimson added two more in the bottom of the fifth, and Princeton came up empty in their remaining offensive opportunities. And, after another run from Harvard, first baseman Madi Mays shot a single to the wall, bringing the Crimson’s lead to 8 and triggering the run-ahead rule to end the game at 14–6.
Early five-run deficit proves too tall of a mountain for the Tigers to climb
Similarly, the Tigers struck first in the second game of the weekend, with Sablone walking and being driven in by junior left fielder Allison Ha. With runners on second and third and one out, a groundout and strikeout killed the rally. The Crimson continued their momentum from Saturday, stringing together six hits and two walks to score a staggering six runs and jump out to the early lead.
The Tigers batted around in the top of the second as Harvard pitcher Riley Flynn struggled with her control. Despite a pitching change by the Crimson, the Tigers cut the deficit to one after a combination of good hitting and walks. After the second inning, the Tigers trailed 6–5. The two sides traded runs in the next two wins, with the Crimson holding a slim 7–6 advantage after four innings.
The Princeton bats were quiet in the fifth. However, the Crimson looked to extend their lead during the bottom of the fifth. With runners on second and third with one out following a Princeton error, a sac fly brought Harvard’s lead back to two, but the Tigers were able to strand a runner at third.
Dumais led off the sixth with a solo home run, but Princeton failed to generate any momentum from the blast to tie the game.
Top 6th | Harvard 8, Princeton 7
— Princeton Softball (@PUSoftball) April 7, 2024
That’s a way to get a quick one back! Julia Dumais leads off the sixth with a solo shot!
💻: https://t.co/DakISLhkjB pic.twitter.com/V3X8Vmube3
The Tigers were unable to capitalize on the top of the seventh, ultimately ending their hopes of a comeback. Harvard took game two 8–7.
Tigers salvage series in game three win
In game three, the Tigers plated a run in each of the first three innings, courtesy of a Ha RBI single, a Harvard defensive miscue at first base, and a Marsalo RBI single in the bottom of the third.
Harvard threatened in the bottom of the second inning, loading the bases with one out. The Tigers escaped though by executing an inning-ending double play.
End 2nd | Princeton 2, Harvard 0
— Princeton Softball (@PUSoftball) April 7, 2024
A double play keeps the Crimson off the board!
💻: https://t.co/hzLqLgpAZ6 pic.twitter.com/nb1xnmGiKE
Shaw faced the minimum in the bottom half, keeping the Crimson scoreless through three. The Tigers went down 1-2-3 to start the fourth.
“Every game we get to play is an opportunity to get better,” Marsalo told the ‘Prince.’ “Although we did not want the outcomes we had hoped for, we left the Harvard series a better team.”
A hit-by-pitch, error, and a walk led Harvard to have the bases loaded with nobody out in the fourth. After a quick force out at home, Harvard catcher Alexa Wohr drove in two with a single. Shaw struck out the next two batters she faced to end the inning with only two runs given up.
The Tigers threatened in the fifth, with two on and only one out. A double steal brought both runners into scoring position, and Ha dropped the sacrifice bunt to drive in a run. Marsalo battled through a nine-pitch at bat before hitting a line drive double to the wall and driving in another run.
Harvard scored two in the fifth with a double from Mays and a single from Fitzpatrick. Senior pitcher Molly Chambers came in to pitch for Shaw and immediately got a groundout and a strikeout to end the inning. Bade singled to start the sixth, and, after advancing to third, scored on an error off the bat of Zhang.
A 1-2-3 top of the seventh left everything on the shoulders of the Princeton defense. After a groundout, sophomore pitcher Brielle Wright entered the game looking for her sixth save of the season. She allowed two singles but ultimately struck out Wohr to end the game.
The Tigers will look to climb the Ivy League rankings next weekend when they face Dartmouth (9–11, 5–3), who currently sits third in the Ivy League. Princeton cannot afford to drop to fifth in the standings if they want to advance to the Ivy League tournament in May. However, with the series loss against Harvard, the Crimson are right on their heels. The three-game home series against the Big Green this weekend will be vital for the Tigers’ postseason hopes.
“Our mindset is to just take it one game at a time,” Marsalo added. “We are continuing to grow as a group, and we are still working towards playing our best game.”
She ended by saying, “The start of the Ivy season does not speak to the capabilities of this team, and we are grateful for the opportunity to keep competing together moving forward.”
Ryan Kirby is a staff Sports writer for the ‘Prince.’
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