Softball Battles Princeton in Ivy League Battle

Saturday, March 28

New York, N.Y.

12:30 PM

Columbia

Princeton

Photo by: Columbia University Athletics / Stockton Photo, Inc.

3/27/2026 10:17:00 AM | Softball

Saturday’s game will be the Lions' annual Mental Health Awareness Game

NEW YORK – The Columbia softball team returns home for a crucial three-game Ivy League series against the Princeton Tigers this weekend. Due to the weather, the Lions and Tigers will play a single game on Saturday and a doubleheader on Sunday.

LIVE COVERAGE
All three games between the Lions (10-13, 2-1 Ivy) and the Tigers (13-9, 3-0 Ivy) will be streamed on ESPN+. Fans can also follow the action via live stats on Statbroadcast.com. Saturday's game begins at 12:35 p.m. with Sunday's opener beginning at 12:35 p.m. Game two on Sunday is scheduled to begin 30 minutes after the completion of game one.

Game 1 – Live Stats | Watch (ESPN+)
Game 2 – Live Stats | Watch (ESPN+)
Game 3 – Live Stats | Watch (ESPN+)

GAMEDAY PROMOTION
Saturday's game against the Tigers will be the Lions' annual Mental Health Awareness Game. The Lions will be handing out affirmation cards prior to the game and there will be a speech prior to first pitch.

LAST TIME OUT
The Lions clinched a crucial Ivy League series win with a thrilling 12-8 win over Brown. The Lions were trailing 4-0 entering the top of the seventh when they scored six runs to take a 6-4 lead. In the home half, after a two-hour rain delay, the Bears tied the game on a 2-run home run. In the eighth, the Lions scored six more runs on two hits and a slew of Brown errors to take a commanding lead. They eventually held on for the win, taking the series 2-1. Caylene Nguyen got the win, she also drove in three. Emmy Davis had her strongest outing coming out of the bullpen.

IN THE CIRCLE
As a team, the Lions boast a staff ERA of 4.28, which is third in the Ivy League. The Lions are holding their opponents to a .276 batting average, which leads the conference. Mads Lawson is the Lions ace through 23 games, the first year pitcher's ERA of 3.45 is fourth best in the conference. She leads the Ivy League in strikeouts (61), Innings pitched (65.0), and complete games (8).

AT THE DISH
Columbia is hitting .252 as a team, which is seventh in the Ivy League. The Lions are averaging 3.96 runs per game. Of their 152 hits, 49 have gone for extra bases. Columbia has slugged 34 doubles, two triples, and 13 home runs. Eleni Katsivalis has been the table setter for Columbia. She leads the team with a .389 average and 16 runs scored. Alicia Marzouca leads the team with 18 driven in.

MOVING UP THE HOME RUN LIST
Savana Messner is tied for the team lead with four for the year and 16 for her career. The 16 home runs are tied for sixth all-time with Maria Pagane (2018-22). Next up is Maggie Johnson (2008-11), who is fifth all-time with 18 career home runs. Fellow senior Sarah Mikami is ninth all-time with 13 home runs.

CO...ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
On Monday, first-year starting pitcher Mads Lawson was named the Ivy League Co-Rookie of the Week. The native of Rancho Murieta, Calif., shone both at the plate and in the circle for the Lions. As a pitcher, she went 1-0 with a 1.24 ERA, holding opponents to a .162 average in 11.1 innings pitched. At the plate, she hit .571, going 4-for-7 with two runs scored and two RBI.

BREAKING OUT
Second baseman Alicia Marzouca was one of head coach Jennifer Teague's picks of players who would break out in 2026. Through 23 games, she leads the team in RBI (18), slugging percentage (.534), and extra base hits (five doubles and four home runs). In the series-clinching win over Brown on Sunday, she had a 2-run double in the sixth that helped complete the Lions' comeback, giving Columbia a 6-4 lead before the rain delay.

SUPER SOPH'S
The Lions' sophomore class has been stepping up in a big way in 2026. At the dish, the quartet of Caylene Nguyen, Alicia Marzouca, Kyra Mason, and Juju O'Brien is hitting .253 (54-for-213) and has scored 33 of the Lions' 91 runs. They've also accounted for 14 doubles, eight home runs and 47 of the Lions' 87 RBIs. In the circle, Nguyen and Emmy Davis have combined to go 3-2 with a save. Nguyen is 3-1 with a 4.06 ERA.

CROOKED NUMBERS
In Columbia's thrilling comeback in the series-clinching win over Brown last Sunday, the Lions scored six in the seventh and six in the eighth inning to win 12-8. It is the first time the Lions have scored five or more runs in back-to-back innings since Columbia defeated Cornell 12-0 on April 13, 2019. In that game, they scored six in the second and five in the third.

COMEBACK FOR THE AGES
Another note about the Lions' 12-8 win over Brown. It is the first time the Lions erased a deficit of four or more in their last at bat since Columbia scored four runs to tie the game against Virginia on March 3, 2018. They would eventually win that game 11-8 in nine innings.

COMING OUT OF THE PEN
The Lions' starting pitching has been stellar this year, with an ERA of 4.67; however, the bullpen has been equally terrific. The Lions' relief pitchers are 3-3 with a 3.37 ERA. In 45.2 innings pitched, they have held opponents to a .249 average. Charlotte Laidler and Lily McCord have been brilliant in relief - the duo has pitched a combined 21.1 innings, sporting an ERA of 1.64 - they have allowed five earned runs with five walks while striking out 10.

SCOUTING PRINCETON
Princeton enters this weekend with a 13-9 overall record and sits atop the Ivy League standings after sweeping Cornell last weekend. In the final two games, the Tigers blasted the Big Red by a combined score of 24-0. On the road, the Tigers are 2-4 this season. As a team, they are hitting .343, averaging 6.14 runs per game. They are slugging .514 as a team. Mia Valenzula was named the Ivy League Player of the Week and Co-Rookie of the Week. She is hitting .415, one of five regular players hitting north of .380 this season. Karis Ford is tops on the team with five home runs. In the circle, Princeton boasts an ERA of 4.10. In 141.2 innings pitched, they have struck out 101 as a team. Opponents are batting .312 against the Tigers. Reece Uehara and Cassidy Shaw are 10-3 together and have thrown five complete games. Uehara was named the Ivy League Pitcher of the Week after going 3-0. She earned a pair of wins against Cornell, holding the Big Red scoreless in two starts over 10.0 innings pitched.

THE SERIES
Saturday will be the 78th meeting all-time between these two teams. All-time, Princeton leads 53-24 in the series, which dates back to April 8, 2001. At home, the Lions are 13-26 against the Tigers. Last year, Columbia took the series at Princeton, winning game one and game three on April 18 and 19. At the Ivy League Tournament last May, the Tigers ended the Lions' season with a 10-1 win in five innings.

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