[img_assist|nid=29942|title=Swing away|desc=Senior Ashley Wolf homered yesterday to help the Red come from behind to get the win, 5-4, in Game 2.|link=node|align=left|width=|height=0]Last year, the softball team broke a five-game losing streak against Syracuse. This year, the Red extended that winning streak to three as it took both games of yesterday’s doubleheader. In both games, the Red was behind heading into the bottom of the fifth but managed to pull ahead in both contests to win Game 1, 5-3, and Game 2, 5-4.
Syracuse (14-25, 5-7 Big East) struck first in Game 1, taking two unearned runs in the top of the second. After an error opened the door for the Orange offense to eventually score twice, freshman pitcher Ali Tomlinson struck out two batters to end the inning.
Down 2-0, Cornell (31-7, 11-1 Ivy) got on the board in the fourth with a solo home run from sophomore Elise Menaker. An inning later, after sophomore Alyson Intihar had already brought in a run, a three-run homer from Menaker brought the score to 5-2.
Tomlinson gave up a home run in the sixth to bring the score to 5-3, but would settle down and held the Orange scoreless for the remainder of the game. She ended with a complete game, giving up one earned run and striking out five.
Cornell’s offense again gave them the victory in Game 2, making up for a very uncharacteristic four runs allowed in 4 1/3 innings from senior pitcher Jenn Meunier. After fighting through a back-and-forth game that was tied after the first inning and again in the fifth, Cornell pulled ahead to win 5-4.
After surrendering a run to Syracuse in the first, Cornell answered with a run of its own in the bottom half of the inning, as senior Jenna Campagnolo brought in sophomore leadoff hitter Devon March.
Syracuse did its damage in the fourth inning, getting a three-run homer from Lindsay Wasek to pull ahead, 4-1. After Meunier surrendered the round-tripper, sophomore Dana Robbins came in for only her second appearance in the circle this season and held the Orange scoreless for the rest of the game.
Down 4-1, Cornell began to pick away at Syracuse’s lead in the bottom of the fourth with a two-run home run from senior Ashley Wolf. Cornell tied the score at four apiece the following inning, as Intihar scored on a double from Menaker.
Tied at four in the bottom of the sixth, March doubled to right field with one out and was moved to third on a sacrifice from senior Samantha Hare. With two outs and a runner on third, Intihar stepped up to the plate, but Syracuse’s Brittany Gardner did the work for her by throwing a wild pitch that allowed the winning run to score.
Robbins allowed two two-out singles in the top of the seventh, but got Rachel Helman to ground out to end the game, giving Cornell the 5-4 Game 2 victory and the sweep on the day.