Princeton’s softball (14–13 overall, 8–1 Ivy League) team defeated Dartmouth (12–13 overall, 5–4 Ivy League) over the weekend in a three-game series, splitting the first two matches and trouncing the Big Green with a final game win of 14–6.
This victory comes on the heels of another major Tiger victory last weekend against Yale with a sweep of the series. Princeton is currently ranked No. 1 in the Ivy League.
The first game of the series got off to a slow start, with no runs being scored for the first eight innings. Princeton was first to put points on the board in the ninth inning, with sophomore outfielder Karis Ford hitting a solo home run. In the bottom of the inning, Dartmouth matched Princeton’s one run with a lone homer of their own.
Going into the tenth inning, the score was tied at 1–1. The Tigers were unable to secure another run and lost to Dartmouth in the bottom of the inning by a third solo home run as Justice Malone hit a walk-off home run to win the game for the Big Green, 2–1.
“The team knew we were not at our best on Friday — Brielle Wright was incredibly gritty on the mound and gave us a good chance to win,” head coach Lisa Van Ackeren wrote in a statement to The Daily Princetonian. “We didn’t capitalize on some opportunities, so our goal was to get back to who we are, especially offensively, and buy into the game plan.”
In the second game, Dartmouth started off strong, scoring two runs in the first inning and maintaining the 2–0 lead through the third inning. The Tigers gained the lead after scoring five runs in the fourth inning, and widened the gap further with seven additional runs in the sixth.
These runs were scored with eight hits, one walk, one RBI, and one sacrifice fly ball. Junior infielder Julia Dumais secured five runs for the team, scoring twice herself and hitting two RBIs. Sophomore infielder Graciela Dominguez also brought in two runs and two RBIs.
Dartmouth finished out the last inning with two runs, for a final score of 12–4 and a Princeton victory. Sophomore pitcher Cassidy Shaw struck out nine Dartmouth players, tying her career record set last year against Penn.
Walking into the last game, the Tigers knew a win would secure a series victory and maintain their Ivy League rankings. The game got off to an eventful start, with both teams scoring in the first inning, and back-and-forth runs through the next two innings, assisted by senior outfielder Lauren Sablone hitting a triple in the third.
Headed into the sixth and final inning of the game, Princeton was down 6–4 when they began their comeback. With 10 hits and two home runs, the Tigers scored 10 points to reclaim the lead and held off Dartmouth through the bottom of the inning for a final score of 14–6. This inning, first-year catcher Braeden Hale brought in the hit with a triple down the right field line. The two home runs were hit by Ford and first-year infielder Jessica Phelps, and sophomore infielder Sonia Zhang hit a double, then a single.
“We don’t have one star,” Ackeren wrote. “We have a lot of incredibly talented and consistent athletes on our team, which makes us dangerous. There’s a different person who steps up each game that we play.”
The plan moving forward for the team, according to Ackeren, is simple: “To see how good we can get.”
The Tigers will play away at Cornell (12–11 overall, 4–5 Ivy League) this weekend in another three-game series, followed by Columbia (12–13 overall, 6–3 Ivy League) at Cynthia Lynn Paul ’94 Field April 18-19.
Devon Rudolph is an associate News editor and staff Sports writer for the ‘Prince.’ She is from northern Virginia and typically covers student life and USG.
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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