In Season Debut, Tigers Battle Villanova in One-Run Game; Add Drexel May 5

Thursday, April 29

Villanova, Pa.

2:30 PM

Princeton University

0-1

Villanova

27-11

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Princeton	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	2	5	0
Villanova	0	1	0	1	0	1	X	3	6	2

Photo by: Princeton Athletic Communications

In Season Debut, Tigers Battle Villanova in One-Run Game; Add Drexel May 5

April 29, 2021 | Softball

Box Score

Playing its first game in nearly 14 months, and against a Villanova team tied atop the Big East and already 37 games into its season, the Princeton softball team fell behind on Thursday afternoon, battled back, and one run was ultimately the difference.

Princeton was able to head to Villanova for Thursday's game after Princeton University approved a move to phase four of the Ivy League's return-to-play protocol, allowing local competition. The Tigers have also since been able to add a May 5 home doubleheader against Drexel, which will begin at 2 p.m.

On top of the game being the team's first in two days short of 14 months, 10 of the 15 players on the Tigers' roster had either not yet played in a college game or played in no more than eight in the 2020 season that was cut short due to the pandemic. One of those 10 was rookie Molly Chambers, who started in the circle and ended up throwing five innings and giving up two runs on five hits and four walks while she and the Tiger defense stranded eight Villanova runners on base. Alexis Laudenslager, a sophomore and another of that group of 10, came in for the final inning and gave up just a hit and a hit batter as Villanova used those and a stolen base in between to push across what became the winning run.

Megan Kern gave Villanova the lead with a solo home run in the bottom of the second, and the Wildcats pushed it to 2-0 in the fourth when a base hit, a walk and a Paige Rauch double added one to the lead.

Princeton got one of the runs back in the top of the fifth, with Haley Hoffman doubling to lead off the inning and grounders from Serena Starks and Madison Hamilton moving her around to score. Mackenzie Meyer led off the sixth with a base hit, and after a walk to Lauren Murphy and grounders from Grace Jackson and Hannah Lutz, Meyer came around to score to tie it up.

Villanova broke the tie in the bottom of the sixth on the Rauch run-scoring single, but Princeton threatened in the seventh after an error allowed Starks to reach and an unsuccessful fielder's choice put runners at first and second with one out. Adrienne Chang sacrified to put the potential tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position, but a flyout ended the threat.

Our first game in 400-plus days came down to the final pitch.

Hear from Maddie Hamilton and @CoachSween about getting back on the field to compete. pic.twitter.com/9uhlL5KNVw
— Princeton Softball (@PUSoftball) April 29, 2021

We've got highlights! ??

Hits, great defense, a rookie K from our opener today at Villanova. Check it out! pic.twitter.com/kemBHDxzxj
— Princeton Softball (@PUSoftball) April 30, 2021