SPECIAL K: Princeton University softball player Kayla Bose heads to first base in recent action. Last Saturday, senior star and co-captain Bose got a pinch-hit walk-off single to give Princeton a 7-6 win over Penn in Game 1 in the first game of a pair of doubleheaders between the rivals. The Tigers went on to take three of four games over the weekend to solidify their hold on first place in the Ivy League’s South Division. Princeton is now 14-22 overall and 7-5 Ivy, holding a three-game lead over Columbia (11-26 overall, 4-8 Ivy) in the division with eight league games remaining. The Tigers have a doubleheader at Lehigh on April 20 and then head to New York City for twinbills at Columbia on April 23 and 24. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Having not won its season series against Penn since 2008, the Princeton University softball team was looking to make a statement in Ivy League South Division play as it hosted the Quakers last weekend for a pair of doubleheaders.

“This is definitely our south division rival, and it has been for a long time; the upperclassmen set the tone for the the week for just preparing as best we could, said Princeton head coach Lisa Van Ackeren, whose team led the Ivy South starting the weekend.

“The mindset going in was to treat these games the same way we have treated every other game and put your best foot forward.”

The Tigers put their best foot forward in the opening game of the weekend, rallying from a 5-2 second inning deficit to pull out a 7-6 win on a walk-off pinch hit single by senior co-captain Kayla Bose in the bottom of the seventh.

“It was very crucial to win the first game and for a number of reasons,” said Van Ackeren.

“One is that it set the tone for the weekend; two, because we lost a ton of one run games this year and just recently we have been finding ways to win those one run games. I think the experience of having those tight games in general throughout the year has been a huge help for us because in the seventh inning our team plays really relaxed. We are prepared for those moments. It can get really tight and really intense. but we have been in so many tight games that it almost doesn’t faze them any more.”

In Van Ackeren’s view, it was fitting that Bose got the game-winning hit in the opener.

“Kayla is unreal, she is the emotional leader of the team and she is the backbone of everything we have been able to accomplish,” asserted Van Ackeren.

“As a senior captain, she and Shanna Christian have just done an incredible job with the group. The leadership on the team is just so key and when something special like this weekend happens, it really has to come from within the core of the team. Kayla and Shanna both just step into those big moments and do what they need to do for their team. Kayla was called upon in a big moment and she was ready for it.”

After the Princeton bats went quiet in Game 2 in a 4-0 defeat, the Tigers were determined to come out swinging on Sunday,

“We just needed to do a better job of making adjustments,” said Van Ackeren.

“I was proud of the effort the next day. We came out and I think showed right away that we were going to be a better team than we were on Saturday.”

In the opener in Sunday, the Tigers trailed 2-0 in the second and 4-2 in the sixth but rallied again as freshman Mikayla Blaska contributed a two-run pinch hit double in the bottom of the sixth to make it a 4-4 game and classmate Keeley Walsh then hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh to give Princeton a 5-4 win.

“I think pinch hitting performances can be so incredible for morale; Mikayla Blaska hadn’t played an inning all weekend and she comes into the game in a huge moment,” said Van Ackeren.

“As a freshman, she doesn’t let the moment get bigger than she knows what she can do. She had a great at bat; we put a runner in motion at first and she squared the ball up and two runs scored. I think after that happened our team felt we are going to win this.”

In the nightcap, the Tigers rolled to a 10-4 win as freshman Kaylee Grant went 3-for-3 with a homer and a double to lead the way for Princeton.

“She has done a really good job; she is just so grounded and consistent,” said Van Ackeren of Grant, who is now hitting .350 with team-highs in homers (3) and RBIs (18).

“It really doesn’t matter what the situation is, she treats every at-bat the same way. I think that is why she has been so successful down the stretch. She used the first part of the season as learning opportunities. She works her butt off at it. Every at-bat, her body language, and her routine, everything is always the same. I  think that consistency in her approach makes her successful in big moments.”

Sophomore shortstop Danielle Dockx also had a big game in the finale against Penn, going 3-for-4 with a three-run homer.

“It was another great week of practice for her, she came in for extra reps; she is the queen of extra reps, that is her nickname on the team,” added Van Ackeren.

“She just loves to be at the ballfield, she can’t get enough. I am very happy for her because no kid deserves it more than she does with the way that she works at it.”

The Tigers also got good work from its pitching staff over the weekend. “Our pitching staff has been really key to that effort, coming into that seventh inning the first game on Sunday, Claire Klausner gave us that momentum by having a really strong inning,” said Van Ackeren.

“We came in and had the will to just get it done. We are not going to extras, let’s finish this in seven. Our pitching staff has done a really good job of being gritty and resilient when we need them to be and they set the tone for our offense there for us to come up big in the seventh.”

Coming up big against Penn has put the Tigers in the driver’s seat in the Ivy South as they have a three-game lead over Columbia (11-26 overall, 4-8 Ivy) in the division with eight league games to play.

“It is cool because we have never been in this spot in the South where we are playing ahead; we are playing as the first place team, said Van Ackeren, crediting the work of assistant coaches, Christie Novatin and Nicole Arias, with helping to get the Tigers atop the standings.

“You always want to have more control over your situation so I think it was huge. I think setting the tone against Penn is big for us. There are a lot of games left though and we just have to continue to take care of business and do what we did this weekend, which is to approach every game in the same way and put our best foot forward.”

Princeton will need to take that winning approach on the road as it has a doubleheader at Lehigh on April 20 before heading to New York City for twinbills at Columbia on April 23 and 24.

“When they get on the bus, it is a business trip and I think they appreciate the more formal separation from campus,” said Van Ackeren.

“I think that is where the team culture is built. It is built on the beginning of the year when we can’t play at home. They really do enjoy each other, there is a great camaraderie and culture in the team this year. Again the seniors are the biggest factor in that. They have embraced everyone and have set a good tone.”