After a dramatic sweep of Princeton over the weekend, Cornell is set to face off against Penn in a one-game playoff for the rights to play in the Ivy League championship series. The Red (24-21, 15-5 Ivy League) won two extra-inning games against the Tigers to force the playoff game against the Quakers (32-15, 15-5).
The 14-inning affair on Saturday — the longest game in program history — ended with a two-out RBI single by junior Kristen Towne. Sophomore pitcher Alyson Onyon threw a solid 14 innings for the Red, allowing eight hits and six strikeouts in her 11th victory of the season. Onyon’s performance earned her a spot in the Cornell record books with the most innings pitched in a single game.
The 2-1 victory in the afternoon was followed by a 6-4 victory in game two, as sophomore Christina Villalon went 2-for-4 with four RBI, including a two-run double in the third inning. Senior Lauren Marx pitched four innings of relief to earn her fifth save of the season.
Sunday’s contests saw similar drama as the first game went to 10 innings, with the Red coming out on top, 2-1, once more. The afternoon game went smoothly for Cornell, as the Red shut out Princeton, 6-0.
In the earlier game, Onyon followed up her 14-inning performance with a complete 10-inning performance, scattering five hits while striking out five. Sophomore Lauren Bucolo was the offensive standout for the game, going 4-for-5, which included the game-winning two-out double at the top of the 10th.
In the afternoon game, sophomore Jenny Edwards blasted a three-run homerun in the third inning to give the Red insurance runs in the 6-0 victory. Her third inning smash put her on top in the Ivy League for homeruns this season. Onyon pitched the complete seven innings.
For the weekend, Onyon went 3-0, allowing just two earned runs in 31 innings over three complete game victories. She finished the season at 13-4.
Cornell and Penn will face off in Philadelphia, Pa. this coming weekend in a one-game playoff for the Ivy League Southern Division Championship. The winner will own the rights to play a three-game series against Harvard, the Ivy League Northern Division champion, to see who gets a spot in the NCAA tournament.
The Red will play its final regular season games on Wednesday, May 2 against Binghamton. The doubleheader starts at 3:30 p.m. in Vestal, NY.
Original Author: Scott Eckl