The softball team had a tough spring break schedule, with 14 road games in just one week. The last three games of the stretch, though, were canceled due to rain, and the Red came away with five wins over George Mason, Liberty and Bucknell.
On the first weekend of break, the Red (9-10) headed to Fairfax, Va. for the Cherry Bottom Classic. In the first game of the two day tournament, the team could not get its offense going, only recording two hits and eventually falling to Bowling Green State, 7-0. In the second game of the day, sophomore infielder Jenny Edwards’ RBI double in the third inning was enough to carry the Red to a 1-0 win over George Mason. Sophomore pitcher Alyson Onyon did the rest, shutting out the Patriots, only allowing three hits and two walks in 6.2 innings. The following day against Albany, the Red bats went silent again and lost a heartbreaker, 1-0. Just two hours later, though, the team picked up a 7-4 win over the Patriots to finish off the Cherry Bottom Classic at 2-2.
On Tuesday, the team faced off against ACC powerhouse Virginia Tech in a doubleheader. The Red dropped the first game, 6-2. In the second game, the Red opened up an early 3-0 lead off a homer by Edwards. It tacked on another run in the fifth and headed into the bottom of the seventh inning with a comfortable 4-2 lead. It was not enough to contain the Virginia Tech offense, though, as the Hokies exploded for six runs including a walk-off grand slam by Betty Rose.
The Red went on to take two games from Liberty, 7-0 and 7-4. Onyon and senior pitcher Karen Marx both got wins, and junior catcher Kristen Towne and freshman infielder Linda Laeufer both went deep. However, the Red could not build off its momentum the following day, as it dropped a doubleheader to Delaware State, 3-1 and 8-2.
In the first and only game of the Epilepsy Awareness Tournament, the Red came away with a 9-8 nail biting victory over Bucknell. Senior Erica Gaeta’s walk off three run homer in the seventh gave Cornell the victory and helped the Red finish with a 5-6 record in spring break games.
Original Author: Scott Chiusano