Even in times of disappointment, it is the little things that can spark some momentum and raise a team’s confidence level.
Even though the women’s softball team lost three games during the Mason Cherry Blossom Classic this past weekend, they were able to record their first win of the season and improved on both sides of the ball.
“Overall, we played our best softball of the season,” said head coach Julie Farlow.
Farlow noted that the team hit the ball more aggressively and cleaned up some areas of defense. The Red also pitched better and did not allow as many walks as it had in prior games.
Cornell lost, 5-4, in a tightly contested game with Saint Francis University (15-12, 0-0 NEC) in its first matchup of the tournament, an improvement on the scores the team has been seeing earlier in the season.
Senior Emily Weinberg added two hits and drove in two runs for the Red. Senior Meg Parker produced a quality start on the mound and also contributed offensively.
In the second game, George Mason (10-9, 0-0 Atlantic 10) beat Cornell 7-2 behind solid pitching. Even though the Red had 11 hits, George Mason was able to get out of several jams and mustered 14 hits in the win.
Still, in the first two games of the tournament, Cornell showed signs that its game was starting to come together.
“It’s hard to be successful when just one side of the game is working well,” Farlow said. “We need solid performances both offensively and defensively in order to get more victories.”
Cornell got just that on Saturday against Georgetown (5-18, 0-0 Big East). The Red won their first game of the season 6-5 with a combination of solid hitting, pitching and fielding. Right off the bat, Cornell started quickly and produced an impressive first inning. The Red scored three runs.
Sophomore pitcher Sierra Stone held Georgetown in check for most of the game.
“Sierra threw very well and that was a big highlight,” Farlow said.
However, it was not smooth sailing for the entire game. The win appeared in jeopardy after Georgetown threatened with a comeback.
“We gave up the lead late in the game but were able to score in the last inning and win on a walk-off hit,” Farlow said. “That was big for our confidence.”
Cornell has lost several games this season after giving up runs in late innings, which is a problem that has cost the team many wins.
“It was good to be on the other side for once,” Farlow said.
Cornell squared off with St. Francis again in the second matchup on Saturday, but the Red ran into unstoppable pitching from junior Ketarah DeVries, who no-hit the Red in a 13-0 loss.
The last game of the tournament was definitely a step back from some of the improvements the Red seemed to have made in the previous three games.
Overall, Farlow was pleased with the team’s performance and sees many players making strides.
“We’re looking to put all the pieces together now and string together some wins,” Farlow said.