Aaron Snyder/Sun Sports Editor

Softball competes in series against Columbia on March 25.

May 10, 2022

Softball Defeated in its Final Matches of the Season

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On Sunday, women’s softball ended its 2022 season with its series against Dartmouth. The Red batted tight matches, but ultimately only won a single game over the weekend, and finished its season as No. 6 in the Ivy League.

“It was really exciting fuel to just leave it all out on the field,” senior outfielder Hanna Crist said. “That last Dartmouth series we just had was super exciting and super fun because it was the last time we were all going to be together, and we all just wanted to have fun on the field.”

Throughout the season, the team seized nail-biting victories, as seen in its 2-1 victory over Princeton; narrow losses, evident in its 7-8, dragged out to 12 innings; and smashed knockouts against high-ranking teams like Harvard, who Cornell defeated 10-4 on May 4. 

Even with fierce competition in the Ivy League, the Red refused to concede all three matches to any Ivy opposition. For the first Ivy League matche in three years, Cornell held its own. 

“As a team we always just wanted to put our best foot forward and leave it all out on the field,” Crist said. “We wanted to play our game rather than trying to beat everybody else.”

The team also underwent potent losses this season. Early in the season, the team suffered from large-margin losses, but over time, the Red narrowed those leads significantly.

“We had a lot of losses that were really close, extra-inning games and nail biters that I don’t think should be overlooked just because they go down as a loss in the book,” Crist said. “We were able to really put some good things together during the season, and we really picked up our hitting momentum and defensive momentum overall.”

While the team will look to win more matches next season, this season’s personal victories were crucial. The team totaled 143 runs and 121 strikeouts this season. In the Ivy League rankings, Crist placed second in most home runs during the season, with nine homers. Senior infielder Emily McKinney tied for second for runs batted in, ending the season with a 25 RBI. Senior infielder Olivia Rooney’s batting average was also the seventh highest in the Ivy League. Throughout the season, the team strived to celebrate each other’s successes.

“I really hope that the team maintains a good culture and good chemistry because I know that will translate into how they play on the field,” Crist said.

Softball will return next season with fresh faces and its learned experience. 

“The juniors, sophomores and freshmen have so much to offer and so much to contribute and I’m so excited to see what the team does,” Crist said.