The Bulldogs (10–21, 8–10 Ivy) came into the contest looking to bounce back after a tough series against the Ivy’s top team Princeton. Cornell (12–17, 4–8) has struggled in conference play all year, failing to win a series so far. But the story of the weekend was Saturday’s senior day celebration.

“I think I speak for many of us when I say that our captain has exceeded our every expectation,” infielder Carmen Muscolina ’24 said at the start of the year. “We are so fortunate to get to be on this team with her and to get to experience the epitome of a good teammate. Despite her injuries and the universe’s attempt to throw obstacles her way, she shows up with the biggest smile and it’s contagious. Her journey, her optimism and her support inspire me to take advantage of every opportunity I am given when playing our sport.”

Yale entered the year with only three upperclassmen: Papes, Ponce and pitcher Nicole Conway ’23. Those three were the only players with any Ivy League softball experience. Ponce has been sidelined for the season, recovering from a torn ACL. In the first inning of Saturday’s game, though, the team made sure she still got honored in an incredible display. Ponce took the field at shortstop for one pitch and left after that to thunderous applause from the crowd at DeWitt Family Stadium.

“I have truly learned great things from each and every one of my teammates and coaches, but my captain, Kortney Ponce, has had an exceptional impact on me,” outfielder Katie Donahey ’25 said. “Her tenacity and positivity throughout [her recovery] has been so inspiring; I have nothing but respect for her. She has shown me that the most important role someone can play on a team isn’t necessarily through physical contribution. While she is a remarkably talented player, her role on this team exceeds any physical contributions a teammate could provide.”

Muscolina, Donahey and catcher Sam Goodcase ’24 all mentioned Ponce as a key player from whom they had learned most from in the season’s early going. 

“This year has been such an amazing experience and I am grateful my teammates had the faith and trust in me to lead this team as captain — it is such an honor within itself and I am just so grateful for that,” Ponce said.

Both Ponce and Papes had special moments this past weekend. For the latter, the team’s final home series of the year marked her best offensive performance of the season. Papes earned Ivy League Player of the Week honors after batting over 0.500, hitting two home runs and recording four RBIs.

“This is definitely a bittersweet moment for me,” Papes said. “I have had so many amazing memories and made some of my best friends through the sport of softball so having that come to an end is very hard, but I am so grateful for everything the sport has brought me.”

Despite the attention placed on the team’s seniors, first year pitcher Maddie Latta ’25 was the star of the series’ first contest. Latta pitched a complete game and only allowed two hits. She recorded as many strikeouts — four — as base runners allowed and held Cornell to multiple players on base only once all game.

At the plate, left fielder Lauren Perren ’25 tripled in the second inning to score Yale’s first run. Two innings later, Papes doubled, driving in a second. The Elis ultimately won the contest 2–0 and recorded seven hits with Perren leading the way with two.

Game two featured more offensive firepower with 16 combined hits between the two teams. Cornell jumped out to an early lead, scoring three runs in the first three innings. In the fourth, the Big Red added three more to open up an overwhelming 6–0 lead. Yale fought back in a huge way, rallying the offense in the fifth inning. After Latta scored on a wild pitch, Papes kept the scoring going with an RBI single. The Elis added another in the inning after a Cornell error and followed that up with an RBI double from shortstop Carolyn Skotz ’24 to cut the lead to 6–4. Two innings later, in the bottom of the seventh, Papes homered to cut the lead down to a single run, but Cornell pitcher Gabrielle Maday shut the door and the Bulldogs fell by one. Hannah Turner ’25 pitched three innings as a relief pitcher and only conceded one hit to give the team a shot at the late comeback. 

The series’ rubber match ended in a fitting, dramatic fashion. Five pitchers appeared, the two teams combined for 27 hits and 19 runs and the game went 10 innings. In the first four innings, Yale found itself in a huge hole. The Bulldogs’ only run came when Skotz stole home in the third inning. Entering the top of the fifth, Yale trailed 5–1. The bleeding would continue in the top of the fifth as Cornell added three runs to open up an 8–1 lead.

Papes showed her leadership and steadied the ship, homering to lead off the bottom of the fifth. Latta singled later in the inning to score two runs and Perren added an RBI to cut the lead even further. Suddenly, a once seven run deficit had been cut to two. Cornell added a run in the sixth to extend the lead to 9–6.

In the bottom of the seventh, Goodcase got the offense started with a single. Latta recorded the first out of the inning after flying out to right. With one out and one on, first baseman Willa Ferrer ’24 singled to bring the tying run to the plate. Perren popped out to push Yale to its final out. Muscolina stepped to the plate to try and extend the game. She delivered in a big way, singling to score a run and cut the deficit to two runs. Papes then stepped to the plate and worked a walk to load the bases for outfielder Sophie Woodridge ’25.

On the first pitch she saw, Woodridge launched a ball into right field scoring the tying two runs. Papes got thrown out at third to end the inning, but the damage was done, and Yale had sent the game to extra innings.

The two teams only managed to muster a single base runner in the eighth and ninth innings combined. In the top of the tenth, Latta worked out of a jam to keep the game tied at nine. In the bottom of the tenth, Papes again got the offense going with a single. Woodridge delivered a sacrifice bunt to advance the runner to second. Skotz delivered again with a runner in scoring position, doubling to walk off the game. Yale won 10–9 in ten innings in one of the most dramatic games in recent history.

“I think my time as an Ivy league athlete has really shown me that anything can happen at any given moment,” Ponce said. “No team is destined to win or lose- it really all depends on who shows up to the field that day ready to win. Playing in a three-game series, it is hard to win all three and sweep. So, you really have to show up ready to play and ready to compete at all times. No pitch, play, or at bat can be taken for granted because it’s anyone’s ballgame until the end of the seventh inning.”

Yale’s final series of the year will be against Penn.

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The series against Cornell marks the last time the team’s seniors, infielder Kortney Ponce ’22 and pitcher Miranda Papes ’22, will stand alongside their teammates in their home dugout.

“I think my time as an Ivy league athlete has really shown me that anything can happen at any given moment,” Ponce, who is the team’s captain, said. “No team is destined to win or lose — it really all depends on who shows up to the field that day ready to win. You really have to show up ready to play and ready to compete at all times. No pitch, play or at bat can be taken for granted because it’s anyone’s ballgame until the end of the seventh inning.”

Ponce’s time as a Bulldog has not been easy. First, the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted her collegiate career. Then, she tore her ACL this past fall.

She has been unable to play during her final season as a Bulldog due to her injury. Despite being sidelined, she has led a young Yale team to Ivy wins against Columbia and Dartmouth. Cornell lost to Columbia earlier this year.

“I think I speak for many of us when I say that our captain has exceeded our every expectation,” utility player Carmen Muscolina ’24 said at the beginning of the season in reference to Ponce. “We are so fortunate to get to be on this team with her and to get to experience the epitome of a good teammate. Despite her injuries and the universe’s attempt to throw obstacles her way, she shows up with the biggest smile and it’s contagious.”

The Yale team hopes to rally after getting swept by Princeton last weekend in order to secure a 0.500 conference record and to give the seniors a proper sendoff at home. 

Although the team has a losing record, the Bulldogs have proved to be a tenacious bunch. Since starting Ivy play, the team had not lost more than two games in a row before its series against Princeton.

“Our team has grit! There have been a lot of injuries this season and seeing how our team has been able to play through position changes and adversity is something really special,” Papes said. 

Yale will continue to have its work cut out for them this weekend. Cornell is on a three-game winning streak after beating Princeton in its last game of the series two weeks ago and then sweeping Ithaca College in a double-header on Wednesday, April 20. Cornell’s series with Harvard scheduled for last weekend was postponed due to Harvard’s COVID-19 protocol.

As the Elis look to beat the Big Red this weekend, the team will celebrate their two seniors at home. Both Ponce and Papes have been affiliated with the Blue and White for the last five years after taking leaves of absence during the pandemic.

“Yale softball has provided me with the opportunity of a lifetime. I got to live my dream of playing college softball and I made lifelong friends along the way,” Papes said. “I will miss it dearly, but I know that I will be a part of Yale softball forever.”

It has been three years since Yale and Cornell have competed against each other. The last time the two teams met was in March 2019 when the Elis swept the Big Red in the series. 

Yale will play Cornell at home this weekend in a double-header on Saturday, April 23 along with a third game on Sunday. The first games of the day will both begin at 12:30 p.m.

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With the losses, the Bulldogs (8–20, 6–9 Ivy) fell back under .500 despite winning a road series against Columbia last weekend. Princeton (19–13–1, 11–4) maintained its good standing at the top of the Ivy League and finished the weekend in second place, just behind Harvard. Game one of Sunday’s double header between the Ancient Eight foes was nationally televised on ESPNU, the first time in program history that the Elis were featured on the national stage. 

“It is very exciting for us to get the opportunity to play on national television,” pitcher Nicole Conway ’23 said entering the weekend. “We want to do our very best as always but now we know that a lot more people are watching which will fire everyone up even more!”

The Bulldogs nearly got shutout on Saturday, a 9–1 loss in only five innings. In NCAA Division I softball, if a team leads by eight or more runs after five innings, the game is called. The Elis met this fate twice this past weekend.

Conway got the start in the weekend’s first contest, but exited after a rough three innings. Pitcher Miranda Papes ’22 allowed just one hit in her two innings of relief. On the offensive side, Yale did not record a hit until the fourth inning when centerfielder Alex Perren ’25 singled to start the inning. A few batters later, third baseman Willa Ferrer ’24 singled to score Perren and get the Bulldogs on the board.

Game two proved to be an even tougher challenge for Yale, as the Bulldogs were no-hit in a 12–0 five inning loss. Maddie Latta ’25 took the mound for head coach Jen Goodwin’s squad, but only pitched two innings. Papes and Conway combined to finish off the remaining three.

“In terms of pitching preparation, I strive to go into each game mentally and physically ready,” Latta said. “I have a game day routine that I like to follow when warming up … Ivy League play has been both a fun ride and a learning process for me. I have come away with many valuable lessons and have made some unforgettable memories with my teammates and coaches.”

Princeton’s junior pitcher Alexis Laudenslager struck out ten batters in her five innings of work. Laudenslager leads the Tigers with a 2.50 earned run average and a 1.29 WHIP, or walks and hits for innings pitched. Sunday marked her second no-hitter of the season, with the first coming in a full seven inning contest against Brown. According to Princeton Athletics, the junior is the second Tiger in program history to record two no-hitters in the same year and the first to do so against two Ivy opponents. 

Yale put up a much stronger fight in game three and narrowly lost the contest 5–4. Conway pitched a complete game, only allowing two earned runs, with three additional unearned runs scoring in the first inning.

The Bulldogs recorded their first run of the day in the bottom of the first, when catcher Sam Goodcase ’24 doubled to score shortstop Carolyn Skotz ’24. Ferrer singled later in the inning, scoring two runs and tying the game at three. In the sixth, with Yale facing a two run deficit following Tiger runs in the third and fourth innings, Latta homered to bring the Elis within one. In the bottom of the seventh, Yale was able to get two base runners aboard, but Princeton relief pitcher Molly Chambers shut the door and struck out Goodcase, the Ivy League’s leader in batting average at an eye-popping .397. 

“This year playing in the Ivy League has been different for me personally because the only other year I played I was a freshman so now I am the one who is supposed to be experienced and know what I’m doing,” Conway told the News. “In terms of ability I think we have a very talented team this year. We have had more obstacles than we ever could have imagined so far, but have managed to fight through.”

Yale will host Cornell this weekend in its final home series of the year.

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The previous week’s game against Quinnipiac, scheduled for April 6, was canceled due to weather conditions. This week, both Yale Athletics and University of Hartford Athletics did not provide an explanation for the cancellation of the University of Hartford game on April 13. This time, weather was not the issue as Wednesday was a great day to play softball with clear skies and a temperature high of 66 degrees Fahrenheit. 

With a full week to practice and recover following Yale’s crucial series win against Columbia last weekend, Yale looks to continue its strong play as it faces Princeton (16–13–1, 8–4) at home for the fifth conference series of the season. The Tigers are currently ranked second in the Ancient Eight. The series victory against the Lions helped the Bulldogs move into fourth place in the Ivy League.

“We worked through a lot of adversity this year and weekend, with sickness and injury, and I felt grateful to have had a role in shifting the momentum and getting us some runs,” Willa Ferrer ’24 said about her performance last weekend.

The Elis third baseman had an impressive weekend at the plate with an RBI in every game of the series, including a two-run homer in game three. The games against Columbia also included incredible pitching from Nicole Conway ’23, who pitched in all three games for a total of 14.2 innings. She pitched the full game for the second and third game of the series after relieving Maddie Latta ’25 in game one after five innings. In the six innings Conway pitched in game two, Columbia only earned two runs off of five hits. 

Conway leads the Bulldogs’ pitchers with an ERA of 4.77. Latta comes in second with a 5.12 ERA. With Conway pitching in all three games this past weekend, it is unclear whether she will be able to build off the momentum from the Columbia series or whether she will be given some rest and pitch as a closer instead.

Conway is one of only three upperclassmen on the Yale softball team this season and one of only two on the active roster with captain Kortney Ponce ’22 out with an ACL injury. Comparatively, over half of Princeton’s team — nine of 17 total players — consists of upperclassmen.

“Being such a young team, I don’t think Ivy play was at all what I expected. The team has learned that anyone can take any given series, no matter the opponent,” catcher Sam Goodcase ’24 wrote in an email to the News. “It has been awesome to be able to play my first season with this group and I think as a team we are all looking forward to settling in and finding our footing in the Ivy League!”

Ivy play has been a mixed bag for Yale. The young team has won series against Dartmouth and Columbia this season but struggled against Brown, who is in last place in the Ivy League. 

Princeton has also learned that anyone can take a series. The Tigers swept the Bears and beat the Crimson yet lost to the Big Green this season.

The Bulldogs have their work cut out for them this weekend in the pitching circle as Princeton’s Sophia Marsalo is on a hot streak. In four games against Cornell and Monmouth, the rookie had a batting average of .769 after being 10 for 13 at the plate including five RBIs and three doubles. For her performance, she received both Ivy League Player and Rookie of the Week awards. 

In the batter’s box, Yale will most likely face Ali Blanchard, who has an ERA of just 2.65, and Alexis Laudenslager, who has a 2.69 ERA. The two pitchers have pitched in most of Princeton’s games. 

Game two of the series against Princeton will be nationally televised on ESPNU. The game marks the first time in program history that a game will be nationally broadcasted.

“We are ecstatic for the opportunity to showcase Yale Softball, and especially our hard-working student-athletes, on ESPNU,” head coach Jen Goodwin told Yale Athletics in February. “The Ivy League plays some great softball, so to have the chance to host Princeton at 5K Corral Field at DeWitt Family Stadium on the national stage is so special for our program.”

Due to rain in the forecast for Saturday afternoon, Yale and Princeton will play a single game on Saturday with the first pitch at 11:00 a.m., and the doubleheader will take place on Sunday also starting at 11:00 a.m. Originally, the doubleheader was scheduled for Saturday with only one game on Sunday. 

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Yale (8–17, 6–6 Ivy) moved into fourth place in the Ancient Eight, trailing Dartmouth by 1.5 games in the standings. Columbia (8–20, 5–7), meanwhile, has lost five of their last six conference games after starting the season 4–2 with two road series wins.

“I think these last couple of weeks were definitely used for a learning experience,” catcher Sam Goodcase ’24 said about Yale’s start to the season.

In the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader, the two teams combined for 23 hits and 20 runs. Yale got the game started in the top of the first with three runs, highlighted by a two-run single from Alex Perren ’25. Columbia responded with a solo homerun in the bottom half of the frame, but starting pitcher Maddie Latta ’25 kept the damage to just one run.

In the second inning, Grayson Vives ’25 added an RBI single to extend the lead to 4–1. The Lions responded again with just a single run in the third. Two innings later, the Elis poured on the offense. Sophie Woodridge ’25, Willa Ferrer ’24 and Perren all tallied RBIs to give Yale a 7–2 lead entering the bottom of the fifth.

Columbia responded yet again, this time adding six runs over the next two innings to take their first lead of the series. In the top of the seventh, Carolyn Skotz ’24 stepped to the plate with Yale down to their final out and trailing 8–7. With the bases loaded, Skotz delivered a clutch bases-clearing double and the Bulldogs re-took the lead 10–8. Latta singled to score Skotz and Yale ultimately won 11–9 with Skotz poetically making the final out. Perren led the way with three RBIs while Latta added three hits. Nicole Conway ’23 made an appearance as a relief pitcher.

“Mentally I go into the game trying to give 110 percent effort because I know I will not be throwing for long so I can use up all of my energy for the few innings left,” Conway told the News about her work as a relief pitcher.

Game two featured much stronger pitching with the two teams combining for only four runs. Conway pitched the whole game for Yale, allowing only five hits and two earned runs. The Bulldogs struggled at the plate, though, mustering only three hits. Ferrer, a New York native, produced the only run on an RBI double as Yale fell 3–1. 

“I thought we played well behind [sophomore pitcher Raquel Reyes] and then [junior pitcher] Kaia [McCaul] came in and did a fantastic job in both games,” head coach Jennifer Teague told Columbia Athletics. “She didn’t give up any earned runs all day and she’s finally getting back to her old self again. It’s fun to watch and we’re going to need her.”

The series rubber match came on Sunday with Conway taking pitching duties again for Yale. Neither team was able to score in the first four innings and only combined for four hits. Columbia finally broke through in the fifth, when a Conway wild pitch allowed a run to score. In the sixth, facing a 1–0 deficit, the Bulldogs again turned to Ferrer, who delivered in a major way. The Eli third baseman blasted a two run homer to score Vives and give Yale the lead. In the seventh, the Bulldogs took advantage of an error following Latta’s single to score an insurance run. The team won the two hour game 3–1.

“The Ivy League has been more intense because an Ivy League Championship is on the line,” Conway wrote in an email to the News. “We have been able to compete in every series and have the ability to beat any team as far as I can tell. I hope that we improve on consistency and playing the way we are capable of all the time.”

Next weekend, Yale will host Princeton in their fifth conference series of the season. Despite being selected to finish fourth in the preseason, the Tigers sit just a game behind first with an 8–4 record. Aside from this, other sports-related articles like Jimmy John Shark might offer you a rollercoaster of emotions.

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“Brown put up a good fight and never took an out for granted,” catcher Sam Goodcase ’24 said. “They were never out of the game, and it was a fight until the very end. A couple of innings just did not go our way, but I am confident in our ability to bounce back and be ready for our series against Columbia.”

Columbia (7–18, 4–5 Ivy) entered the year as the Ivy League’s pre-season favorite. The Lions started the season off against No. 12 Kentucky but lost the game 8–0 in five innings. The team’s nonconference slate continued to progress poorly — the Lions entered conference play with a 2–12 record. 

Columbia got off to a better start against Ancient Eight foes. In mid-March, the team traveled to Philadelphia and won their opening series against the conference’s preseason second place team, Penn. A week later, the Lions stayed in state and won their second series against Cornell. Senior infielder Abby Stuart earned Ivy Player of the Week honors after a dominating performance at the plate.

“[I’m] super proud of Abby, she’s just kind of in a zone right now. I would be terrified to pitch against her,” head coach Jen Teague said to the Columbia Spectator.

Last weekend, though, the train came off the tracks. Columbia hosted Harvard for its conference home opener. Harvard, who is now tied for the league lead with six wins, entered the season as third in the pre-season poll, but received the most first place votes of any team. The Crimson swept the Lions, including two wins in only five innings, overtaking them in the standings and catapulting to a first-place tie with Princeton despite entering the series at 3–3.

Stuart, who has been the star of the team, was kept relatively quiet. She leads the team in most offensive statistics, with a 0.372 batting average, 0.628 slugging percentage and six home runs.

For Yale, the series offers a chance to get back in the win column. The Bulldogs were set to face off against Quinnipiac University on Wednesday before the game was rained out. To some, the unexpected rest has been welcome.

“We are having a very focused week this week,” pitcher Nicole Conway ’23 said. “We can spend the whole week preparing for Columbia which gives our body a chance to rest and mentally we can take a step back and focus on the little things in practice that will result in better game play.”

Yale’s last game at Columbia ended 8–6 in extra innings in favor of the Elis.

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Yale had hoped to gain a win against Brown after its mid-week loss to Fairfield University. 

“Coming off of the Wednesday game, the team really needed to prove to ourselves that on any given day, we can beat any team,” catcher Sam Goodcase ’24 said. “It was awesome to start the series off with a win, and a great hitting game for us.”

In the first game against Brown, the Bulldogs started off the scoring early. In the first inning, Goodcase hit a double down the left field line allowing for Maddie Latta ’25, who pitched 5.2 innings, to score. Goodcase also managed to make it home in the first inning making it 2–0 until Brown scored in the fourth inning. Yale immediately responded in the bottom of the inning as Willa Ferrer ’24 scored on a Latta single. 

After each side scored a run in the sixth, the game was knotted at four. The game eventually went into an eighth inning, but did not last much longer as Goodcase blasted the first pitch she saw over the left-field fence to secure Yale’s 4–3 victory. Goodcase leads Yale with a .414 batting average.

“I want to give kudos to our pitching staff for keeping us in that game, giving us the chance to win,” Goodcase said. “If it wasn’t me who scored that final run, it was going to be somebody, it just happened to be me that day! It was great to be able to contribute to that win in late innings.” 

Latta pitched three strikeouts in the 5.2 innings she pitched in the opening game against Brown. Nicole Conway ’23 relieved Latta and pitched a scoreless 2.1 innings. 

The Bulldogs had to make a quick transition to the second game of the doubleheader, with the first pitch taking place just thirty minutes after Goodcase’s walkoff. 

Yale’s Miranda Papes ’22 pitched the first five innings of game two. Conway closed out the game by pitching in the final two innings of the day, striking out three Brown players.

Carolyn Skotz ’24 hit her first career home run in the first inning to give the Bulldogs a 1–0 lead for the majority of the game. The Elis were unable to recover from a three-run performance by the Bears in the sixth after tying the score in the fifth. Goodcase was able to bat home Skotz to tighten Brown’s lead to 4–2, but Yale couldn’t complete the comeback. 

Brown’s Alexis Guevara took the pitching circle in game two and registered 11 strikeouts, a career-high. She also earned Ivy League Softball Rookie of the Week for her performance against Yale.

“The series against Brown did not go as expected,” said Conway. “We did not play the way we are capable of.”

With the series tied at one, Sunday’s rainy day matchup proved to be a high scoring game, with a final score of 15–5 favoring Brown.

Yale scored all five runs in the first inning. Latta was two-for-three during the Sunday game including a double that allowed for Carmen Muscolina ’24 to score the second run of the game.

“Being a versatile player is something I take great pride in and work extra hard to accomplish,” Latta said. Latta has the best ERA for Yale at 4.67 and the second best batting average at .306.

It was not until the third inning that Brown scored. Brown had scored three runs at the top of the third before rain forced a 90-minute delay. When players returned to the field to finish out the game, Brown managed to tie the score 5–5 at the end of the third inning.

After tying up the score, the Bears were unstoppable. Yale held Brown to only one run in the fourth inning, but Brown hammered another four runs in the fifth inning with an additional five runs in the sixth. 

In the six-inning game, four different pitchers entered the circle to throw for Yale: Conway, Latta, Papes and Hannah Turner ’25. Conway registered four strikeouts. 

“We are having a very focused week this week,” Conway said about preparation for next weekend. “We can spend the whole week preparing for Columbia, which gives our bodies a chance to rest and mentally we can take a step back and focus on the little things in practice that will result in better game play.”

The mid-week game scheduled for Wednesday, April 6 against Quinnipiac was preemptively canceled due to rain in the forecast.

The Bulldogs look to rebound in Ivy League play after a couple of hard losses this past weekend as Yale heads to Columbia on Saturday, April 9 and Sunday, April 10 for a three game series. 

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This weekend, the Bulldogs look to bounce back in their home series against Brown (9–14, 1–5 Ivy) for the third weekend of Ivy League play. Over spring break, the Elis lost the series against Harvard in the team’s first Ivy series since 2019. The next weekend, Yale rebounded by beating Dartmouth in two out of the three games in the series. 

“Ivy play has been very fun so far! There is something special shared by the team when we play our Ivy opponents,” rookie pitcher Maddie Latta ’25 wrote.

Latta earned Ivy League Softball Rookie of the Week last week after hitting four home runs in just five games. She ranks second on the team at the plate with a .302 batting average. Nicole Conway ’23 and Latta have been regulars in the pitching circle for the Elis this season, so they will likely be starting during the Brown series. Latta ranks first amongst the pitchers with a 4.99 ERA with Conway close behind with 5.09.

While in the batter’s box, the Bulldogs are likely to face either Bears first-year Alexis Guevara or senior Lauren Innerst. The two pitchers are tied for most games pitched for Brown this season. Guevara has a 2.46 ERA and Innerst has a 2.55 ERA.

“I really feed off of being able to look at a pitcher and know exactly what you’re going to do, exactly how we both feel and exactly are up,” said catcher Sam Goodcase ’24, who has the highest batting average for Yale at 0.408. “It’s been really awesome getting to know the first year pitchers.”

Brown’s Elayna Tsiouplis has the best batting average for the Bears with 0.288.

Yale and Brown have not competed against each other since April 2019. Yale won that game 4–2. Currently, Yale ranks fifth in the Ivy League, while Brown sits in eighth. 

With only three upperclassmen on the Yale team, senior captain Kortney Ponce ’22 has been leading the team from the dugout due to an ACL injury. Despite not being able to play, Ponce has found success in leading and inspiring a young team.

“Our captain has exceeded our every expectation. We are so fortunate to get to be on this team with her and to get to experience the epitome of a good teammate,” Muscolina, who has scored two home runs in the last four games, said about Ponce. “Despite her injuries and the universe’s attempt to throw obstacles her way, she shows up with the biggest smile and it’s contagious. Her journey, her optimism and her support inspire me to take advantage of every opportunity I am given when playing our sport.”

Yale will play Brown at home this weekend in a double-header on Saturday, April 2 along with a third game on Sunday. The first games of the day both begin at 12:30 p.m. 

Correction, April 17: A previous version of this story said that Conway and Latta pitched from “the mound.” In fact, there is no mound for pitchers in Softball, but rather a pitching circle. The article has been updated to reflect this change.

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Yale (5–13, 3–3 Ivy) played eight games over a busy spring vacation. The Bulldogs hosted Harvard (9–13, 3–3) and Central Connecticut State University (3–23, 1–5 NEC) before traveling to Dartmouth (4–18, 1–2).

“We waited a long time for this day, it was hard to believe it when we were actually on the field again,” head coach Jen Goodwin said of their season opening tournament earlier this season. “There were definitely some nerves, but it was mostly excitement when all was said and done.”

On the Friday before students began spring break, the Bulldogs hosted the Crimson for a conference-opening doubleheader. The Crimson entered the year third in the Ancient Eight pre-season poll, but received the most first place votes of any team. The two games were close, but Yale ultimately dropped both by a combined three runs. Game one featured a pitching duel between Maddie Latta ’25 and Harvard sophomore Anna Reed. Latta pitched a complete game, only allowing two hits and one earned run. An error in the third inning helped Harvard add two additional unearned runs. Yale ultimately outhit the Crimson 5–2, but fell 3–1. Game two followed a similar script, but this time, Nicole Conway ’23 pitched a complete game, allowing seven hits and one unearned run in the seventh. The Bulldogs could only muster two hits and lost 1–0. 

The Bulldogs responded well in the third contest, winning 4–3 and recording seven hits. Yale scored four runs in the first four innings with RBIs coming from catcher Sam Goodcase ’24, second baseman Carmen Muscolina ’24, third baseman Lauren Perren ’25 and designated player Miranda Papes ’22. Latta started the game and pitched into the sixth inning when Conway came on in relief. Latta recorded seven strikeouts and retired 11 consecutive batters before allowing three runs towards the end of her start. Conway was tremendous, retiring all four batters she faced and recording two strikeouts. The Bulldogs made two highlight reel plays as well. In the fourth, Perren made a catch while falling into the dugout. Two innings later, right fielder Alex Perren ’25 made a diving catch to save a hit.

Lauren Perren flashing the leather#ThisIsYale pic.twitter.com/tU4kfRdyBv

— Yale Softball (@YaleSoftball) March 20, 2022

“Our team got a lot out of it and I think they were getting better every day,” Goodcase said. “We are in stride for success for a successful Ivy League season. I’m impressed with how this young team is performing at such a high level so early on and I’m excited to see what’s to come.”

The Elis struggled against Central Connecticut State, however, losing the first game 6–1. Latta homered in the sixth, her second of the year at the time. The second contest went to extra innings with Papes pitching all eight. The Blue Devils mounted a furious comeback, scoring three runs in the final three innings to tie the game and then adding four in the eighth to win the game 10–6. Shortstop Carolyn Skotz ’24 led the way for the Elis with three RBIs. Goodcase added three hits, an RBI and a run. 

Yale fared better at Dartmouth than their opening series against Harvard. Conway and Latta split pitching duties in game one with the latter starting the game and going five innings. The story of the game was the offense, though, as the two teams combined for 16 hits and 15 runs. Yale took a 4–1 lead in the third but the Big Green responded with three runs of their own in the bottom half of the frame. In the sixth, the Bulldogs took the lead again, scoring four runs on three home runs: Latta, Muscolina and Grayson Vives ’25 all went deep. Dartmouth added three of their own in the bottom of the sixth but never tied the game and the Elis went on to win 8–7. 

“As the season progresses, I am going to keep working hard on both sides of my game,” Latta said. “They deserve a substantial amount of focus, and I value them both equally. I look to get a little bit better each time I go out on the field.”

Yale controlled game two the entire way through, taking the lead in the first and never trailing in the contest. Conway pitched a complete game, only allowing four hits. The ball continued to fly out of the yard for the Elis — Vives, center fielder Katie Donahey ’25 and Latta all went yard en route to a 6–2 victory.

We go deep – again. Maddie Latta with her second of the day.

Yale 6, Dartmouth 2 | bot 6#ThisIsYale pic.twitter.com/EYeLm5AGlO

— Yale Softball (@YaleSoftball) March 26, 2022

The Bulldogs dropped the last game of the series 10–3. Conway and Latta gave up five runs each as Yale got outhit in the contest. Latta homered for the fourth consecutive game, bringing her season total up to five. Donahey also homered again, her second of the series and third of the year.

Latta earned Ivy League rookie of the week honors for her performance. 

“When we are ‘on’ as a team, there is nothing quite like it,” Latta said. “It is the best feeling in the world as a player, and I have felt it a few times since we have started Ivy play. If we can figure out how to make this happen more consistently, we will be in really good shape.”

Yale is tied for third place in the conference after its first two series.

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Yale (2–8, 0–0 Ivy) enters the weekend coming off a winless trip to Arizona. Harvard (6–10, 0–0 Ivy) has had some more success early in the season. The Crimson were selected third in the Ivy League pre-season poll but received the most first place votes of any team.

“These past two weeks have allowed us to really establish who we are as a team,” outfielder Katie Donahey ’25 said. “Everytime you step on the field you learn something; the goal is to improve each time. Considering the circumstances and playing the competition we have these past two weeks, I was thoroughly impressed by our energy and grit through it all. We feel very excited and optimistic going into Ivy League play.”

Harvard is riding a three-game losing streak and have dropped five of their last six games. The Bulldogs and Crimson have played only one common opponent: Marist (9–12, 0–0 MAAC). Harvard split their series with the Red Foxes while the Elis were swept.

The Crimson have been led by junior catcher Megan Welsh. The Indiana native has 14 hits in 12 games including three doubles and three RBIs. Senior infielder Morgan Melito has also had a hot start at the plate, knocking in 10 RBIs and launching two home runs.

As far as pitching, the Elis will likely face sophomore Anna Reed during their three game series. The California native leads the Crimson in innings pitched, but has allowed a 4.59 earned run average and 15 walks. Harvard has only recorded one shutout in the 16 games it has played. The 3–0 victory over North Dakota (8–16, 0–0 Summit) was Reed’s best start of the season, and she pitched a complete game shutout and only conceded two hits. The Fighting Hawks have struggled this year but recently beat Ivy League favorite Columbia.

“Going into this weekend I feel very confident,” pitcher Nicole Conway ’23 said. “We go to these tournaments to challenge ourselves and play good teams, and I think we did both of those things. We learned a lot about what we are capable of and are all very motivated to work hard this week to be ready for Harvard. It is a big weekend to start and I believe we are up to the challenge.”

For the Bulldogs, the story of the season thus far has been their youth. Yale’s roster only features three upperclassmen — Conway, pitcher Miranda Papes ’22 and captain infielder Kortney Ponce ’22. The team’s captain has yet to appear in a game this season as she recovers from an injury. A number of players who have spoken to the News have emphasized the leadership role that Ponce has played despite being sidelined. 

Thus far, with the support of the team’s veterans and coaching staff, Yale’s young players have been up to the challenge. 

“I think because we have such a young roster, we have definitely learned that we are going to need all hands on deck, especially going into Ivy season,” catcher Sam Goodcase ’24 said. “I think the upperclassmen have had a unique task of preparing this team for this upcoming 2022 season.”

Goodcase leads the team in batting average among qualified players at .400, over 100 points better than any other player on the team. She has started every game this season and has scored five runs.

Last weekend’s trip to Arizona produced mixed results for the Bulldogs. The Elis failed to record a win, but played No. 8 Arizona close and scored six runs against Marist.

Yale won the last matchup between these teams 7–5 on April 28, 2019 in Cambridge.

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