Freshman Whitney Smith allowed just one run on five hits in her seven innings of work, as the softball team (9-3) salvaged a split against Colgate (11-6) by winning the second game of yesterday’s doubleheader, 3-1. The Raiders took the first contest for their first win over Cornell since 1996, by a 2-1 score.
Colgate won the first game on the strength of the longball and strong pitching from Elena Isaac. The hurler scattered three hits and gave up just one run, a sixth-inning RBI single by junior Kate Varde, which plated sophomore Erin Kizer.
The Raiders opened the scoring when Amanda Brickell slammed a solo shot to lead off the bottom of the fourth. They added an insurance run the very next inning when Kim Olmstead took junior pitcher Sarah Sterman deep.
Cornell had a golden opportunity to tie the game in the top of the sixth, but managed to score just one run. Sophomore Melissa Heintz walked to lead off the inning, and Kizer singled to right. After a fielder’s choice, junior Melissa Cannon reached on an error to create a bases loaded situation. Varde proceeded to drive in Kizer, but Sweeney, the potential tying run, was cut down at the plate by a well-executed relay.
Sterman suffered the loss, just her second of the season, despite giving up only four hits.
The loss for Cornell was its first since it lost the second game of a doubleheader to Stetson last week. The Red had carried an eight-game winning streak into yesterday’s games.
The second game was almost identical to the first. Only this time, it was Cornell which relied on the home run and strong pitching to gain the victory. Heintz launched a monster opposite field two-run homer with one out in the top of the second to give the early 2-0 lead. Cannon scored in front of Heintz after singling to lead off the inning.
Colgate threatened to tie the score in the fourth, but Smith was up to the challenge. With one out, Colgate strung together three consecutive singles by Melissa Rawson, Natalie Rawson, and Olmstead, the last of which plated Melissa Rawson. However, Smith got out of the jam, inducing a double-play groundball from Erin Hanna.
Cannon would give the Red a two-run edge with an RBI double in the seventh. She was 2-for-3 in the game with a run scored and an RBI. That would be all Smith would need, as she set down the final six Colgate batters in order to earn her third collegiate win.
Cornell will return home today to face Maine at 3:30. It will then head to Philadelphia to play a doubleheader against Drexel tomorrow, before visiting Delaware on Sunday.
Archived article by Alex Ip