HERO’S WELCOME: Princeton High softball player Greta Knierim, right, gets a big welcome from her teammates after hitting a homer in a game earlier this season. Last Wednesday, junior center fielder Knierim belted a single, double and homer with three runs and four RBIs to help PHS roll to a 14-3 win over Manville. The Tigers, who defeated WW/P-South 21-10 last Monday to improve to 6-5, play at Steinert on April 23 and at Ewing on April 28. (Photo by Frank Jacobs III)
By Bill Alden
Last fall, Greta Knierim decided to make a greater commitment to softball as she competed for the Jersey Assassins travel program.
“I wasn’t taking it as serious, I definitely had that transformation in my fall season,” said Knierim. “I had a great fall season and I am learning to take how I am playing in the fall season into high school, I am just proud that I am doing that right now.
Last Wednesday, junior center fielder Knierim came up big for the Princeton High softball team, belting a single, double, and homer with three runs and four RBIs to help PHS roll to a 14-3 win over Manville.
Knierim got things started as she stroked a run-scoring single in the first inning to start a rally that saw PHS jump out to a 5-0 lead.
“I knew it when we went out there, the energy was positive,” said Knierim. “We wanted to come out with our third win in a row. We are definitely going somewhere.”
In the third inning, Knierim ripped a double off the left field fence and later scored as the Tigers went up 8-3.
“I knew the wind was definitely pushing it,” said Knierim. “There was a chance that it was a homer but I just wanted to run. It’s alright, it happens. I was determined the next time that I wanted to get one.”
An inning later, Knierim got one as she blasted a three-run home run to left center.
“I felt that immediately,” said Knierim. “I had a good hitting game. I just had to be a little more patient with some different speeds in pitching.”
In reflecting on the victory, which was the third straight for the Tigers, Knierim likes the progress she is seeing from the team.
“I think these hard-working practices, different skills, working together and communicating has definitely gotten better,” said Knierim.
“Our hitting has definitely been improving. It is exciting to see everyone click.”
In Knierim’s view, PHS has heated up with the higher spring temperatures. “I would say the change of weather definitely had something to do with it,” said Knierim. “I just feel like it has brought us together. We were going from cold weather to going inside and to the rain and then being in shorts. These little things do bring us together, we are a lot more closer as a team. I feel like everybody just gets along. It is really good to see that it is also improving in the field as well and how we play with each other.”
The versatile Knierim likes playing in the field and on courts as she also helped the PHS girls’ basketball team win the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) Tournament this past winter and competed for the PHS JV girls’ volleyball program in the fall.
“I don’t think I would be myself if I didn’t play all of those sports,” said Knierim. “I am so used to being active all of the time, whether that is softball, whether that is basketball or whether that is just playing soccer in a field. I am always playing sports. I am always active, I don’t think I have sat on my bed for more than two hours during the school year.”
Looking ahead, Knierim is planning to focus on softball after high school.
“I am definitely looking for a higher level,” said Knierim. “Softball is my life, I am looking forward to celebrating four years with people who are just as determined and into it as I am. I am looking forward to playing D-2, D-I in college. As far as I can go with it is the goal.”
PHS head coach Marissa Soprano likes the way her squad has raised its level of play after starting 1-4.
“We had two kind of tough games back-to-back with Notre Dame and Montgomery,” said Soprano, pointing to an 8-6 win over Lawrence on April 8 as a turning point. “Our next game was Lawrence and we felt it came together for them. We were just talking to them about finding their groove in the infield and outfield. We had to switch people around at the beginning of the season and figure out who is going to play where. I feel it started to come together in the last couple of games and it is paying off.”
The Tigers are also getting into a groove with their bats. “The girls have been getting better at plate discipline, knowing where the zone is,” said Soprano, whose team defeated WW/P-South 21-10 last Monday to improve to 6-5. “We kept talking to them about driving in runs and not leaving anybody on base. We have been doing a great job of picking people up. We have speed with Vivian [Lutkowski] at the bottom of the lineup, that helps to turn it over. The top of the order is doing a great job and especially Elle [Villarini] with being a freshman. We are really happy to have her, she has been doing a great job.”
Soprano is really happy with the production she is getting from Knierim.
“She hit for the cycle in one of our games,” said Soprano of Knierim, who is now batting .444 with four homers and 17 RBIs.
“She is doing a great job, she is really coming into her own, picking the team up in terms of her speed on the base path and also being able to hit with power.”
The pitching tandem of junior Genevieve Ritchie and senior Erin Pilicer has been excelling in the circle.
“Genevieve has been doing a great job,” said Soprano. “Her and Erin have been splitting time, depending on who is feeling up to it.”
The Tigers have been doing a better job in the field behind their pitchers.
“We have been working on the defense,” said Soprano. “I felt like last year we would have one bad inning that would get them in the hole. We have been trying to make sure they are focusing on solid plays and not letting the inning get away from them if there is a mistake. They have been doing a good job of that.”
With PHS playing at Steinert on April 23 and at Ewing on April 28, Soprano is looking for her players to keep getting the job done.
“I think we are just focused on every day being an opportunity to play and teaching the girls to be competitive no matter who we are playing,” said Soprano. “Having victories like the one against Lawrence that we were able to pull out gives us momentum and we want to build in that. It is just making sure that they have confidence at the plate especially. That us big and now that we are settling in the field, making the plays one at a time.”
In Knierim’s view, the Tigers are primed to do some big things as the spring unfolds.
“There are some tough teams in the CVC but in terms of how well we did last year, I think we could get farther,” said Knierim. “We definitely have a chance to compete this year and be one of those top competitors. We need to be consistent and work together as a team and not play separately and independent.”