CUTTING LOOSE: Princeton High softball player Kayla Volante takes a big cut in a recent game. Last Friday, sophomore Volante hit a two-run homer in a losing cause as PHS fell 7-6 to Trenton. The Little Tigers, now 4-11, host Allentown on May 6 before playing at Trenton on May 11. In addition, PHS will be starting action in the Mercer County Tournament, where it is seeded 11th and will play at No. 6 WW/P-N in a first round contest on May 9. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

There is no question that the Princeton High softball team will battle to the final out.

Last Thursday against WW/P-S, PHS fell behind 3-1 and 9-6 to tie it 9-9 before losing 10-9.

A day later, the Little Tigers trailed Trenton 7-2 before getting two-run homers from Nancy Gray and Kayla Volante in the fifth inning to narrow the gap to 7-6. The Little Tigers got runners on first and second in the bottom of the seventh but couldn’t push across another run in falling by that 7-6 margin.

On Saturday, PHS started the day by falling behind Hightstown 8-0 before narrowing the gap to 9-5 in the bottom of the fifth. In the final inning, the Little Tigers added another run but the rally fell short in a 10-6 loss.

“We keep coming back,” said PHS head coach Dave Boehm, whose team played a second game on Saturday, falling 7-0 to Hopewell Valley in dropping to 4-11.

“We get behind and we chip away, we chip away but we are not that good a hitting team to overcome our mistakes.”

While PHS hasn’t scored enough runs to negate its lapses, the team is showing some good punch.

“Nancy Gray has been hitting the ball well, I am happy with her,” added Boehm.

“Sarah Eisenach is ripping the ball, she had two triples this week. Both Genna Garlock and Kayla Volante have come through with big hits.”

In order to come through with some more wins, PHS needs to play sharper all around.

“It is tough, there is no consistency and that goes for the fielding and the hitting,” said Boehm, noting that his team committed nine errors in the loss to Trenton.

“We are not getting the two-out hits. It is mental and physical. We get down and the mistakes multiply; we are not making our own breaks.”

Despite the recent string of tough losses, the PHS players are not getting down on themselves.

“I want them to just try to get some confidence,” said Boehm, whose team hosts Allentown on May 6 and plays at Trenton on May 11 and will be starting action in the Mercer County Tournament, where it is seeded 11th and will play at No. 6 WW/P-N in a first round contest on May 9.

“We can’t go into a game just thinking we are going to win, we have to perform. This is a 4-11 team but they have a good attitude. They want to play hard, they want to win.”