Softball Team to Begin Spring Trip to Florida Saturday

Saturday, March 16

Clearwater, Fla.

9:00 AM

Princeton University

Butler

Kaylee Grant leads Princeton in hits so far this season.

Photo by: Beverly Schaefer

Softball Team to Begin Spring Trip to Florida Saturday

March 14, 2019 | Softball

The Sunshine State will welcome the Princeton softball team for seven games, beginning with four this weekend as the Tigers head to a USF-hosted event in Clearwater, Fla.

The event, the USF-Michelle Smith Pediatric Cancer Spring Invitational, will be held at the Eddie C. Moore Softball Complex in Clearwater. The Tigers will face Butler on field 8 Saturday at 9 a.m. before turning around to face Buffalo on field 9 at 11:30 a.m. Princeton will come back Sunday for consecutive games on field 2, against Towson at 10 a.m. and North Florida at 12:15 p.m.

Here is a look at Princeton and its opponents this weekend:

Princeton (1-8)
Season to date: Princeton has played in two events, first at Liberty, opening with a win over Wright State before losses to Bucknell, Valparaiso and Liberty, and then at Arizona State, playing all five games that were either in or receiving votes in the national top 25, including Wisconsin, Arizona State and Texas. While the Tigers were shut out in their final three games at Liberty, the bats got going to score a total of 15 runs across those five games.
At the plate: Senior Kaylee Grant is the Tigers' hits leader, with five. Thirteen Tigers have hits this season and senior Keeley Walsh has two of the team's three home runs.
In the circle: Though five pitchers have seen innings, senior Riley Wilkinson, sophomore Allie Reynolds and rookie Ali Blanchard have combined to throw 44 of the team's 46 innings. Reynolds had the team's win against Wright State.

Butler (8-12)*, 9 a.m. Saturday
Season to date: The Bulldogs have been competing since the second weekend of February and have been in Florida since early this week, splitting midweek games in Tampa with Army West Point and losing to North Dakota State. Butler will play Friday against Minnesota and host USF.
At the plate: Jenna Foreman leads Butler with 23 hits and a .377 batting average, contributing to the team's .247 cumulative average.
In the circle: Alyssa Graves (3-3, 4.21) has thrown a team-high 47 innings of the five players who have seen time in the circle this season.
Series with Princeton: The teams have not met.

Buffalo (1-16)*, 11:30 a.m. Saturday
Season to date: Butler has also been competing since the second weekend of February and started the season with six defeats before a win over Nebraska-Omaha in Georgia. Buffalo will be aiming to break a 10-game skid Friday in Florida.
At the plate: Anna Aguon is hitting .348 for the Bulls with a team-best 16 hits. Six players have hit homers this season with four of those hitting two apiece.
In the circle: Ally Power (1-6, 3.98) has thrown a team-high 51 innings this season of the three Buffalo arms to see time.
Series with Princeton: Tied 1-1, with Princeton winning 7-2 in Tampa in 2007 and Buffalo winning 3-2 in 10 innings in Virginia in 2016.

Towson (9-7)*, 10 a.m. Sunday
Season to date: Towson began its season on the first weekend of February and will have four games on the weekend before wrapping with Princeton Sunday morning. The Tigers have won four of their last six games.
At the plate: The Tigers are hitting .412 as a team with Kendall Arcia's 16 hits leading the team in that category and Julia Smith-Harrington leading the regulars with a .424 BA.
In the circle: Six pitchers have thrown for Towson this season with Sara Johnson (3-1, 4.13) throwing 40 2/3 of the team's 102 innings.
Series with Princeton: Towson leads the all-time series 7-3 with all 10 games coming between 1991 and 2010. Towson has won the last five, with Princeton's last win coming in 2004.

North Florida (12-8)*, 12:15 p.m. Sunday | Live Stats
Season to date: UNF also opened its season Feb. 8 and hasn't left Florida. The Ospreys have won their last three games and will wrap the weekend with Princeton after playing four earlier games at the event.
At the plate: Hitting .283 as a team, UNF counts Dominica Cocuzza as its hits (29) and average (.518) leader. She co-leads the team with 10 extra-base hits including a team-best three home runs.
In the circle: The Ospreys have a 2.99 ERA with four pitchers having seen time. Morgan Blourne (4-2, 2.73) and Sydney Matzko (5-4, 2.86) have combined for 90 of the team's 131 innings.
Series with Princeton: UNF leads 3-1 with the teams having met in 2013 in Jacksonville for a UNF sweep of two and in 2015 in Boca Raton for a split.

*Records entering play Friday