Princeton University Athletics
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Softball's First Home Weekend Brings Rutgers, Lafayette to '95 Field
March 25, 2010 | Softball
PRINCETON -- An extra weekend in May this year will bring a non-league home weekend to Class of 1895 Field before the Princeton softball team plays an Ivy game.
Rutgers will visit '95 Field Saturday and Lafayette will play Sunday in doubleheaders each beginning at 12:30 p.m.
The Ivy League season will extend to the first weekend of May this season with the Ivy League championship coming the following weekend, two weeks before the NCAA Regionals. Princeton will host Harvard and Dartmouth next weekend to open the league schedule.
The Tigers came back to New Jersey with a record of 6-12 following the 13-game spring break trip to California that saw the team win five games against California-based competition. Senior Jamie Lettire and sophomore Nicole Ontiveros are hitting above .300, with Lettire already hitting six home runs to put her at 35 for her career, the second-most in program history after 2005 alumna Melissa Finley finished with 37. In the circle, Lettire (0-7, 7.55) has split time with a pair of freshman pitchers, Liza Kuhn (3-2, 4.24) and Alex Peyton (3-3, 3.97).
Rutgers (10-15) is led at the plate by sophomore Brittney Lindley, hitting .333, with sophomore Mikelyn Messina clubbing six of the team's nine home runs. In the circle, the Scarlet Knights have four arms, with senior Nicole Lindley (4-8, 4.18) logging 63 of the team's 164 innings. Rutgers began the season with an eight-game losing streak and has since won 10 of 17 games with Nicole Lindley or sophomore Holly Johnson, who threw a no-hitter against Stony Brook the last time out, getting the decision in each of the last eight contests.
Lafayette (7-7) will play a twinbill at Villanova Saturday before coming to Princeton. The Leopards have won five out of their last seven games after a 2-5 start, led by three players hitting above .300 and senior Kasey Karr (5-3, 3.71) throwing 51 of the team's 92 innings in the circle. Senior Christina Giambrone has the top batting average on the team at .378.