By April 10, 2006
After dropping a disappointing doubleheader to St. Bonaventure last week, the softball team righted the ship at home this weekend. Opening its Ivy League schedule at home, the Red (17-16, 3-1 Ivy) split a double-header with Dartmouth (9-16, 2-2) before sweeping Harvard (11-14, 0-2).
“It feels great. We did a great job this weekend, and played real well. It was very good softball all around,” said sophomore pitcher Jenn Meunier.
The Red started the weekend off on the right foot, scratching out a 3-2 win in Game 1 over Dartmouth in nine innings. Sophomore Jenna Campagnolo came through in the clutch, nailing an RBI single to seal the victory.
Meunier pitched a gem, allowing just three hits and striking out nine while going the distance for the victory. Both runs allowed were earned.
In a tightly played game, Cornell drew first blood in the bottom of the third when sophomore Ashley Wolf batted in junior Lauren Berkley on a fielder’s choice.
Dartmouth took the lead in the next half-inning, scoring two unearned runs after a Cornell error. Cornell tied the ballgame in the sixth and almost won it in the bottom of the seventh, but Wolf was left stranded on second after a strikeout, pop out and groundout ended the inning. Cornell scored what appeared to be the winning run in the eighth, but after an appeal from Dartmouth it was ruled that senior Caitlin Warren did not touch the plate. However, the Red took care of business in the ninth, with Campagnolo providing the late-game heroics by driving in Wolf for the game-winner.
In Game 2, Dartmouth came out of the gate firing, scoring four runs in the first inning and holding on for the 4-3 victory.
The Red was able to get three runs back in the bottom of the third. Junior Sarah Ruben led off the inning with a solo home run, and junior Erin Murtha hit a two-RBI double. The Red, however, never really threatened again, as Dartmouth freshman pitcher Stephanie Trudeau, who pitched a complete game, allowed just three base runners the rest of the way. Freshman Haley Mirrer was strong in relief for the Red, pitching 3.2 innings of shutout ball. Senior Whitney Smith took the loss. Senior Alicia Petryk belted a three-run homer to lead the way for the Green.
Wolf led the way for the Red on Saturday, going 5-for-8 at the plate with an RBI.
“Ashley was amazing this weekend. She’s been incredible, and she can hit anything, anywhere on the plate,” Meunier said.
After splitting the pair with Dartmouth, Cornell took the field on Sunday knowing it needed a better effort to oust a strong Harvard squad.
Meunier responded in game one, striking out five Crimson batters to lead the Red to a 3-0 victory. The win improved Meunier’s record to 8-7 on the year.
“I pitched really well. I was hitting my spots, working both sides of the plate. When you do that, it makes it a lot easier,” Meunier said.
Solo shots from Wolf and freshman Nicole Cheever propelled the Red to the win.
In the late game, the Crimson jumped out to an early lead in Mirrer’s first home start.
Harvard led 2-0 after two innings, but it did not take long for Cornell to respond.
Wolf got the Red on the board with a RBI single. Murtha added an RBI double to tie the game.
After Murtha’s extra-base hit, the floodgates opened and would not close as junior Sarah Ruben launched an RBI single off the left field wall. Wolf continued her stellar play with another RBI single.
After three more runs, Murtha capped the day for the Red with a moon shot to center field, her first of the season.
Meunier pitched one inning in relief for the Red, who will head to Buffalo, N.Y., tomorrow for a doubleheader with Canisius.
By April 10, 2006
Competing against heavy winds, constant rain, and cold temperatures – not to mention some of the best programs in the Northeast – the men’s and women’s track teams still managed strong results at the Quaker Invite this past Saturday in Philadelphia. The Cornell teams combined for a total of 13 first-place finishers at the meet, including several performances that rank among the best in the IC4A this year.
“For the most part, we did a very good job of going at it in awful conditions,” said men’s head coach Nathan Taylor.
The Red had the top-3 finishers in the 400-meter hurdles, as senior Greg Simonds won the race in a time of 52.75, while sophomores Adam Seabrook and Aaron Merrill took second and third with times of 53.27 and 54.32, respectively.
“We have several very good intermediate-distance hurdlers,” Taylor said.
Although most events were held outdoors in difficult conditions, the jumping events were held indoors as the weather was considered “dangerous,” according to Taylor. Junior David Pell and sophomore Rayon Taylor were both winners in the field, as Pell tied for first in the high jump with a mark of 6-8 1/4, and Taylor won the triple jump with a mark of 48-6 3/4.
The Red was also victorious in the steeplechase, as junior Aaron Arlinghaus returned from injury to win the event with a time of 9:13.8. Sophomore Ian Ward took second in the event with a time of 9:32.3.
“Aaron ran his first track race in 22 months,” Taylor said. “And he ran the whole thing by himself in driving rain.”
Also on the track, sophomore Jimmy Wyner won the 800 meters with a time of 1:51.15. Senior Gordon Hall took third in the 800, with a time of 1:52.33.
The women’s team also had a strong showing in the 800 meters, as five of the top-8 places belonged to Cornell. Senior Ruth Morgan took second with a time of 2:14.69, while junior Nyam Kagwima was third with a time of 2:15.05.
The Red also had several top finishers in the steeplechase, as juniors Robyn Ellerbrock and Toni-Lynn Salucci took first and second place with times of 10:50.3 and 10:54.4, respectively.
Senior Linda Trotter won the 200 meters and also finished second in the 100 meters with a time of 12.59. Junior Morgan Uceny – a premier runner in the 800 meters -won the 400 meters with a time of 56.29.
Junior Stephanie King won the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 15.01. In the 4×100 meter relay, the team of freshmen Troy Mullins, freshman Jeomi Maduka, junior Cameron Washington and freshman Janice Nsor were victorious in a time of 48.03.
In the jumps, junior Sarah Wilfred won the high jump with a mark of 5-10, while Maduka won the triple jump with a mark of 38-11 3/4. Senior Jamie Greubel won the long jump with a jump of 17-3 1/2.