Sophomore catcher/infielder Lauren Holt picked up right where she left off last season as the reigning Ivy League home-run leader, hitting three in her first four games of the season, as softball opened its 2024 season with a five game weekend. Cornell (2-3, 0-0 Ivy) kicked off its season in Florida at the Spring Games –– which bills itself as the “The World’s Largest College Softball Event” –– with three straight losses before bouncing back to end the weekend with two wins.
The first pitch of the season on Friday, Feb. 23 was thrown to sophomore outfielder Kate Callaway by Middle Tennessee’s (4-12, 0-0 CUSA) Keri Munn, and by the end of the first frame, Cornell had a 2-0 lead after junior infielder Emma Antich walked and Holt homered.
Holt and Antich, along with sophomore infielder/outfielder Sydney Stapf, powered the Red offense last season, accounting for 81 of the team’s 142 total runs batted in and 21 of 34 total home runs. Sophomore pitcher Madalyn Covelli took to the circle looking to build on a solid freshman campaign where she amassed a 3.89 ERA in 39.1 innings pitched. Covelli pitched five and two thirds innings on Friday giving up nine runs (seven earned) on nine hits with five walks and three strikeouts.
Down 7-2 in the top of the sixth, Cornell’s offense fired off its first big inning of the season, putting up seven runs to take a two run lead over the Blue Raiders. The offensive explosion was capped off with a grand slam hit by Holt, her sixth RBI of the game.
In the bottom of the sixth, however, junior pitcher/infielder Maxine McCraw relieved Covelli and inherited runners on the corners. With two outs, McCraw walked a batter before giving up a game-tying double. Cornell was held scoreless in the top half of the seventh, and three Middle Tennessee singles in the bottom half of the inning ended the Red’s opener, 10-9. McCraw picked up the loss and Cornell moved on to its second game of the day against Butler University (7-8, 0-0 Big East).
With plenty left in the tank after pitching one inning against Middle Tennessee, McCraw got the start and lasted only three and two thirds, giving up 12 hits and seven earned runs. The Red put up a good fight against the Bulldogs, scoring four runs in the first and two in the fourth and sixth.
Holt continued her hot start to the season at the plate, going 3-4 with four RBIs. Staph added two hits and an RBI and sophomore infielder Ella Harrod doubled for her first hit of the season and scored a run. Relieving McCraw in the fourth, Covelli struggled with command, walking four and giving up three earned runs before being replaced by freshman pitcher Laney Freiband. Frieband was unable to slow the rolling Bulldog offense, giving up four walks, five hits and five runs in two innings of work. Cornell concluded its opening day of play with a 15-8 loss, still searching for its first win of the season.
The Red’s first matchup on Saturday was against Bellarmine University (5-5, 0-0 ASUN) and was a lower scoring affair than Friday’s scoring fests. Once again for Cornell, it was McCraw starting and Covelli relieving, with McCraw surrendering seven runs on five hits, and Covelli shutting out the Knights in a dominant three and a third inning performance. Both pitchers notched three strikeouts.
Unfortunately for the Red, the solid performance from the pitching rubber was tarnished by the weakest offensive showing of the weekend. Cornell had seven hits and five walks against Bellarmine’s two pitchers, but left 15 runners on base and only got three to home plate. Despite Bellarmine’s five errors, the Red fell 7-3 to the Knights.
It wasn’t until Saturday afternoon, its fourth game of the weekend, that Cornell entered the win column. Facing off against Siena (7-5, 0-0 MAAC), the duo of McCraw and Covelli assembled an impressive performance, allowing just five hits and one walk in the game.
Holt, who singled in the top of the first to give the Red the lead, led the way for Cornell. Holt’s third homer of the weekend and a sacrifice fly from freshman infielder Maddie Ullensvang gave Cornell a 4-1 lead after three innings. Harrod also continued to contribute with two hits — including a double — and an RBI. Covelli entered the win column with the 5-3 victory.
On Sunday, the Red faced St. Bonaventure (0-5, 0-0 A10) to wrap up the weekend. McCraw and Covelli posted a strong outing, giving up just three runs over seven innings.
Stapf first uncorked a double to clear the loaded bases in the third. The score held at 3-1 until the top of the seventh, when Antich’s double drove in a run, preceding a Holt RBI single. Freshman outfielder Hailey Pirkey sealed the game with a double to left field, the first RBIs of her collegiate career. St. Bonaventure rallied in the bottom of the inning to make it 8-3, but McCraw ultimately shut the door for the Red’s second win of the season.
Holt finished the weekend with an otherworldly statline, going 9-17 with 14 RBIs, three homers and two doubles. She leads the Ivy League in slugging percentage, homers, RBIs and total bases. Unsurprisingly, the Loveland, Ohio native was named the first Ivy League Player of the Week of the 2024 season, Holt’s first time winning the award.
Softball will travel to Washington, D.C. Saturday and then on to Fairfax, VA Sunday to take on Georgetown and George Mason. The Red will play double headers against both teams, with first pitch slated for noon on both days. Links to live stats for all four games can be found on the Cornell Athletics website.