It was yet another successful weekend for the women of Cornell softball — except for one small mishap. In Friday’s doubleheader at Penn, the Red dominated with a 5-4 win in game one and a lopsided 13-5 victory in the second game. However, on Saturday Cornell (24-11, 10-2 Ivy) could only manage to win the first game by a final score of 6-0. The Quakers (13-18, 7-5) then returned in the second game with a renewed vigor, and stole the victory from the Red, 9-6. Despite the loss, the team is still looking back on the weekend with positivity. And the players aren’t the only ones who have reason to be happy — head coach Dick Blood earned his 500th win this weekend, making him the second-most winning coach in Cornell history. However, Blood emphasized that his current focus is directed toward the team’s success.“It was great to get [the 500th win], but right now our first goal is to win the Ivy League Southern Division,” he said. Coach Blood could not have earned his spot in the record books without his team’s hard work and talent. This weekend, the Red players came through on the offensive and defensive ends, with their efforts culminating in three solid wins.“This weekend we … had a lot of heart,” said senior third baseman Elise Menaker. “It was physically and emotionally draining but we proved that we can come from behind to win.”In game one on Friday, the Quakers immediately scored 3 runs in the first inning, but Cornell rallied in the fifth and sixth innings, with a home run from freshman right fielder Kristen Towne and a two-run homer from Menaker. In the seventh inning, sophomore catcher Erica Gaeta had a two-run pinch-hit single, solidifying the win for the Red. Game two saw the Red earn 16 hits — six of which were doubles. Menaker had an especially strong game, with a home run in the second inning, a two-run double in the seventh, and a total of seven RBIs. In addition, senior shortstop Alyson Intihar was four out of four at the plate, scoring four runs in all. The next day started out equally well for the Red, as the Quakers were held scoreless for the entire game. Junior pitcher Elizabeth Dalrymple led the Red on the mound with a dominating effort, throwing her first career complete game no-hitter. By the end, she had racked up eight strikeouts and allowed a mere two walks, giving her a near perfect game. Cornell also demonstrated powerful offense, with five runs in the first inning and a homer from sophomore Erin Keene in the sixth. Game two, however, was a different story. Penn scored three runs in the first inning, and although Cornell was able to tie the game by the end of the third, the Quakers then scored six runs to put them up, 9-3. The Red nearly made a comeback with three more runs scored in the seventh inning, but the game ended before Cornell could close the gap. “We got ourselves into a pretty big hole with a couple of mishandled chances on defense,” Blood said. “We just weren’t able to climb out of it.”Although the last game was not a victory, Cornell is still quite satisfied with the weekend’s results. “We actually had a very good weekend,” Menaker said. “We were put in a lot of tough situations … we had to get the job done, and we did.”
Original Author: Hannah Fillas