After facing a disappointing doubleheader Tuesday afternoon against Albany, the Red looks to refocus its efforts against Columbia this Saturday and Sunday.
The Red (16-16-1, 5-3-0 Ivy) struggled to put points up after collecting a total of eight hits over the two game series. The Great Danes (14-18-0) swept the non-conference doubleheader, defeating the Red, 13-1, in the first five innings of the first game, and then shutting out the Red, 7-0, that same evening.
Freshman infielder Jenny Edwards scored a run on an RBI — breaking the scoreless tie in the third inning. However, it wasn’t enough to respond to Albany’s aggressive offense and 12 runs in the bottom of the inning.
The team is ready to learn from its mistakes and already has a positive outlook to improve its game.
“These midweek games are a great way for us to gain positive energy going into the weekend,” said junior infielder Morgan Cawley. “They give us a chance to see some quality, live pitching and work on aspects of our game that we want to improve.”
In league play, the Red offense has come alive — boasting a .301 team batting average. Six players are hitting .333 or better in conference play on a regular basis, led by senior outfielder Marissa Amiraian with a .444 average.
“We are a very powerful hitting team,” Cawley said. “Everyone on this team swings the bat hard. I also think we have great team chemistry, which is [another] key element of our success.”
Working through the rest of the week’s busy lineup, Cornell is looking ahead to its weekend games against Columbia (9-22, 1-7). These games will provide Cornell with multiple opportunities to work on its game play and strategies and possibly earn a conference win.
Within the Ivy Conference, Cornell stands in a strong position to take on the Lions this Saturday and Sunday in doubleheaders beginning at 12:30 p.m. and again at 2:00 p.m. each day.
“The four game series against Columbia is going to be very important for us,” said freshman infielder Sarah McCormack. “We know we need to win as many games as possible in the Ivy League in order to make it to a championship.”
The team is energetic and eager for the weekend of game play after a frustrating cancellation of its games against Syracuse midweek.
“[The Red hopes to] work on fundamentals, both individually and as a team,” Cawley explained regarding the extra time the team had to prepare. “There is always room for improvement and practice is the time to put the pieces together so that we can get ready for Columbia.”
“We played very well last weekend,” McCormack said. “Our bats really came alive, we played solid defense and had fantastic outings from our pitchers. We are hoping that will carry over into this weekend as well as the rest of our season.”
Original Author: Ellen Free