The softball team (12-3) extended its winning streak to four games this weekend after winning its home opener against Maine before sweeping Drexel on the road. Pitching was the story for the Red, as the hurlers allowed just two runs in the three games, and outscored their opponents by a 15-2 margin in the contests.
In its home debut last Friday, the Red defeated Maine (10-8) in a pitcher’s duel, 2-0. Cornell scratched out single runs in the fourth and fifth innings and received another dominating performance on the mound from junior ace Sarah Sterman.
Cornell opened the scoring in the fourth on an RBI single from sophomore Melissa Heintz. Junior Sandra Alvarez led off the inning with a walk, and advanced to second on a fielder’s choice. Several batters later, Heintz found a hole in center field and plated Alvarez for the first run of the game. Cornell tacked on a second run the very next inning when Alvarez plated junior Erin Sweeney with a two-out base hit to left.
In the win, Sterman scattered seven hits over her seven innings of work, while striking out five. Maine’s Jenna Merchant allowed two runs in her six innings of action.
Pitching was the story again in the doubleheader on Saturday against Drexel. In the opener, Sterman dominated in her second straight appearance, allowing just two runs in a complete-game effort to earn her eighth win of the season.
Cornell pounced on Drexel (8-10) early, as it scored two runs in the top of the first en route to a 6-2 win. Alvarez and freshman Stephanie Foster each hit RBI doubles in the inning to give Cornell its two-run cushion.
Drexel answered with an unearned run in the bottom of the second, but the Red extended its lead back to two with a run in the third. Alvarez delivered her second RBI double of the afternoon when she plated Sweeney, who had singled earlier in the inning.
The Red finally put the game away in the sixth. After Foster reached base on an error and Heintz walked, sophomore Erin Kizer launched a three-run homer off of Drexel’s Elizabeth Foster. The home run was Kizer’s second of the season.
Cornell jumped on top early in the nightcap as well, taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Sweeney doubled and was driven home on a single by junior Kate Varde. The game remained at 1-0 until the fifth, when the Red exploded for four runs. The big hits in the inning were delivered by Sweeney, who had a triple which scored two runs, and Varde, who notched her second run-scoring single of the day.
The Red would add single runs in the sixth and seventh innings to produce the final 7-0 score.
After a rocky start to the season, freshman Whitney Smith has continued her recent string of success. The rookie notched her second shutout of the season, giving up just three hits in winning her fourth game.
The softball team will return to action on Thursday, when it hosts Siena at Niemand-Robison Field at 3:00 p.m.
Archived article by Alex Ip