Tigers’ spirits remain intact during tough softball season
By: Rich Fisher
When teams are losing, it can be pure agony sometimes.
Tempers could flair, feelings could be hurt. And then of course, there is just the misery of not winning.
The Princeton High softball team is experiencing the losses this year, as a 14-0 setback at Monroe on Monday left the Little Tigers at 3-14. But dissension has not taken hold.
"I think we’re hanging in there," junior third baseman Eliza Stasi said. "We’re a lot closer this year. It’s really great, with the team spirit and team bonding."
Stasi went so far as to even invent a word for what the Tigers have.
"I think we have such better . . . teamship," she said with a laugh. "We’re all really good friends and we’re better this year at getting along.
"We’re just positive about everything. You win some, you lose some. We’re just all friends, so we make each other laugh about everything."
And as the old saying goes, it’s better to laugh than cry. The loss to the Falcons was the fourth shutout in five games suffered by the Tigers. They were blanked three straight early last week by the three Hamilton Township schools, then erupted for an 18-4 win over West Windsor-Plainsboro North on Friday.
Stasi had two doubles and three RBI in that game, while Britney Russell had a double and four RBI. Russell was the winning pitcher, allowing three hits.
Unfortunately, Princeton could not save some of those runs for the start of the new week. Things reverted on Monday, as the PHS pitchers allowed 12 walks and seven hits. The only offensive highlight was a double by Russell.
It is that kind of inconsistency that is killing the Little Tigers.
"We’re making progress, but it’s on and off," Stasi said. "We have good days and bad days. We take a step ahead, then take a couple steps behind, then a step ahead again.
"It’s just like a cycle. It’s not really the best thing to do."
Stasi is one of four Cranbury residents in the starting lineup, along with Russell (the team’s lone senior) and sophomore outfielders Jenna Chick and Terry Golubieski. Junior reserve Richa Gawande is also from Cranbury.
Gawande and Golubieski each drove in a run against WW-P North. For the season, Russell is second on the team with seven RBI, while Stasi has four doubles, a triple and four RBI, Gawande has three RBI, Golubieski has two RBI and Chick has driven in one run.
"We’re all becoming good friends," Golubieski said. "It hurts to lose all these games. But I think we’ve come far from the beginning of the season, even though that’s kind of hard to see. But I think we really have.
"Being friends helps a lot. It keeps you going through the losses."
The majority of the Cranbury players came up through the Cranbury-Plainsboro Little League.
"I think C-P helped us a lot," Stasi said. "I’m glad I played that and didn’t just play on the (Cranbury) School team. We all knew each other from growing up so that helps us all become closer too."
And although this season has been mostly a struggle, the players are bolstered by the fact they have a young team and most of the girls will be back for another year.
"We just have to all step up and get into the game more," Golubieski said.

