Softball to take on defending Ivy champion Princeton

This weekend, the softball team begins divisional play when it takes on reigning Ivy champion Princeton. After opening their Ivy season with consecutive 1-3 weekends, the Lions will look to have a more successful outing in their four-game series against the Tigers.

This past weekend, the Light Blue (12-20, 2-6) was swept by Yale before splitting with Brown. The Bulldogs (14-16, 3-5) used a three-run seventh to take the first game 5-4. Columbia had led 4-2 entering the final inning of the game, but four Yale hits led to the heartbreaking loss for the Lions.

In the second game of the series, Yale pitchers Deanna DiBernardi and Kayla Kuretich shut out the Light Blue, giving the Bulldogs a 2-0 victory. Despite only getting six hits over the course of the game, Columbia had its chances to score, but failed to capitalize, leaving eight runners stranded.

In their first game against Brown (9-15, 3-5), the Lions managed to pull out a close victory, triumphing over the Bears 6-5. However, an eight-run sixth by Brown in the second game resulted in a crushing defeat for the Light Blue, 12-3.
Princeton (8-14, 3-5) is also coming of a disappointing weekend. The Tigers were swept by Dartmouth on Saturday and split with Harvard on Sunday. Both games against the Big Green (15-13, 6-2) were high-scoring affairs, with the Tigers dropping the first contest 13-7 and the second 12-7. The doubleheader against Harvard (19-9, 5-3) was much closer, as Princeton took the first game 1-0, before falling 5-2 in the second contest.

Last season, Princeton swept the four-game series against Columbia. None of the games were close, with the Tigers outscoring the Lions 37-3 over the course of the weekend. Princeton was undefeated in conference play at that time and would go on to win the title.
When asked what her team would need to do to win this weekend, head coach Kayla Noonan stressed the importance of not focusing on the other team.

“It’s really not about Princeton,” said Noonan in an e-mail. “The keys to our success this weekend are controlling all the things that are in our power to control. It is rarely about the other team. If we get consistent focus, energy, and effort from all 13 members of the softball team for 84 outs each day, we will put ourselves in position to win games.”

The Light Blue’s four-game series against its Southern Division foe will begin at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday at the Class of 1895 Field. The second pair of games will begin at the same time on Sunday.