The Princeton Tigresses were shut out on one hit Friday at Geneseo and no-hit for six innings Tuesday against La Salle-Peru.

It’s safe their bats were back Saturday.

Avah Oertel led a Princeton hit parade of nine hits with a 3 for 3 day at the plate, including two home runs and three RBIs. Keely Lawson also homered as the Tigresses snapped a two-game skid with a 6-1 win over visiting Plano at Little Siberia Field in Princeton.

“I think we were due because we didn’t play well the last two games,” Lawson said. “L-P was tough. We knew were going to face Taylor (Vescogni) regardless. And Geneseo, the wind didn’t help us, so we just didn’t execute in ways we should have. Today it felt good to get a win and get back on track.

“If we keep our heads up and keep performing and not let those bad games define us I think our season will go just how we want it to. I think it’s important to keep our heads up.”

As they have once before this season, Lawson and Oertel went back to back with the long ball in the fifth inning to put the Tigresses up 6-1. Lawson went deep first, much to the delight of herself and Oertel.

“Watching her round third with the biggest smile on her face gets me motivated, too,” said Oertel, who now has four homers in the first six games.

Lawson joked that she always has a big smile after she hits a home run, but “I try not to show it.”

Oertel, the winning pitcher, gave herself an early lead with a RBI double in the bottom of the first to score Makayla Hecht, who led off with a single.

Sam Downs went down town for the Reapers with a homer to center in the third inning to tie the game.

Oertel made up for allowing a home run by leading off the bottom of the fourth with her first round-tripper of the day to put the Tigresses back on top. Izzy Gibson and Kiyrra Morris followed with singles with Gibson scoring when Piper Hansen reached on an error. The Tigresses tacked on another run to go up 4-1 on Sylvie Rutledge’s RBI groundout to second.

Oertel was just as pleased with her pitching as she was her hitting. She pitched out of a one-out, bases-load jam in the fourth with two strikeouts, finishing with an 11-strikeout game while allowing one run on six hits and one walk.

“I pitched way better than I did last Friday,” she said, noting her nine-hit, three-walk effort in a 9-4 win over IVC. “I felt like more of myself on the mound, too. I was a little less nervous. I felt loose, most of all. I felt like my body was calm and loose so I felt like it was lot easier today than last Friday. I’m hoping it continues.”

Plano coach Dwayne Love is pleased with the continued progress of his young Reapers (3-3), who have five freshmen in the starting lineup.

“I thought we played a good game. We were playing tough the whole time,” he said. “I’ve got five freshmen out there. So I’m excited for those girls and the rest of our girls. (Princeton) had some really big hits there, had some home runs. But my pitcher came back and struck out, so I was happy for that.

“They’re learning under fire and doing a good job of learning. They’re absorbing everything we’re giving them. I keep telling them, keep maturing. Keep maturing in the game and that’s what they’re doing.”

Alyssa Dexter and Chloe Rowe each had two hits for the Reapers, who head out Sunday morning on a spring trip to Tennessee.