Tigers softball defeats Milaca 8-1

Princeton won on Thursday, April 25, in the inaugural Kwik Trip Dirty Cleats game

As the sun set on the Mark Park softball field on Thursday, April 25, the Tigers softball team basked under the lights with smiles on the players’ faces after defeating Milaca 8-1. Princeton and Milaca (3-4, 2-2) battled in the inaugural Kwik Trip Dirty Cleats game. The Tigers (7-2, 4-1) won a traveling trophy that will be awarded to the winner of each game going forward.

Princeton head coach Mandee Allen said when the Tigers see opportunities on offense to score, they take them.

“We’re hitting the ball well right now,” Allen said. “We’re seeing the ball well, so that’s a good thing.”

After holding the Wolves scoreless in the top half of the first inning, senior first baseman Lola Meyer hit a ball toward left center field that barely cleared over the fence for a two-run home run to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead. That would only be the beginning of Princeton’s offense.

In the third, the Tigers scored a run on a Milaca error, but the Wolves responded in the fourth with a run after Princeton committed an error of its own. It was the first time the Wolves had scored a run against the Tigers since May 6, 2019.

Princeton scored four times in the bottom of the fifth inning to take a 7-1 lead and scored again in the sixth to make it 8-1.

Tigers freshman pitcher Leah Zimmer earned the win. Zimmer threw all seven innings and allowed no earned runs.

“Leah has some good pitches,” Allen said. “She knows how to control [the] ball and hit her spots. She has a good defense behind her. She trusts her team.”

Wolves head coach Angela Helle said that despite the loss, Milaca did some things well.

“We stuck in with the pitcher [Zimmer] for five innings,” Helle said. “It’s 3-1. We’re in the game until the [bottom of] the fifth inning. The girls had a ton of energy. They always knew they could come back. In that fifth inning, we had too many errors. We had too many missed throws and overthrows; that is unlike us. That was the catalyst to the loss.

“We weren’t aggressive enough at the plate. We were waiting to get walked, and the pitcher was too good. They were waiting too long in the count to get behind, and then, she could play with them a little bit more. Had we [been] more aggressive up front and swung at the first couple pitches that were better, we would’ve been better offensively.”

Both teams stood at home plate after the game to take photos before Princeton took photos with the traveling trophy sponsored by Kwik Trip.

Player of the Game

Meyer not only hit a home run, but she made plays on defense at first base as well.

What’s next

The Tigers host St. Francis (7-2, 3-1) on Thursday, May 2, at 7 p.m. at the Mark Park Softball Field No. 2.

The Wolves host Foley (2-4, 2-4) on Thursday, May 2, at 5 p.m. at Sod Park in Milaca.

Princeton and Milaca won’t play each other again until next season because the Tigers are in Class 3A and the Wolves are in Class 2A.

Helle said Thursday’s game was a great experience.

“We had more fans than we’ve ever had,” she said. “It’s fun to be playing under the lights. Our girls hung in there and stuck with it. We didn’t come out as strong as we have in the past.”