This weekend, Cornell softball (9-8, 1-2 Ivy) took on Yale University at Niemand-Robison Field for a three-game series. Cornell’s first Ivy League competition of the season resulted in one win and two losses.
The first game of Saturday’s doubleheader ended in a final losing score of 4-12 for the Red. Senior infielder Emma Antich hit a run batted in double in the second inning, and junior catcher Lauren Holt stood out with a two-run home run in the fifth inning.
Following the loss, Cornell had an opportunity to bounce back in game two just twenty minutes later.
“The scoreboard resets, all the numbers come off. You have to quickly turn the switch and focus on game two,” head coach Julie Farlow ’97 said.
The Red proved more than capable of “turning the switch” — blowing out Yale in game two 21-10. Holt hit two home runs, and freshman utility Charlize Cai and sophomore infielder Maddie Ullensvang each hit a home run of their own. A seventeen-run third inning put an exclamation point on the win. In the third inning, Antich, freshman infielder Emma Harshberger and junior outfielder Sydney Stapf all hit RBI doubles.
“Every time the ball hit our bat, it was finding holes in the field or getting over the fence,” Farlow said. “It adds to their confidence.”
The winning pitcher in game two was freshman Mila Fiordalisi who pitched the whole game — she gave up twelve hits and struck out three.
With the series tied at one game each, all eyes turned to a pivotal game three. Yale kicked off the scoring with two runs in the first, and Cornell struck back in the same inning with a two-run blast by junior infielder Ella Harrod.
Yale took the lead back in the second inning on an RBI single, and Harrod once again tied the game in the bottom of the second, this time with an RBI double to right field. As the game wore on, Yale pulled ahead taking an 8-3 lead to the bottom of the sixth.
“Yale shut us down for a couple of innings,” Farlow said. “We didn’t pack it up when they started to shut us down.”
Down five with six outs to go, freshman outfielder Addison Pressley hit an RBI single to bring the score to 8-4. In the same inning, Harrod picked up her third and fourth RBIs of the game, driving in two with a single.
In the bottom of the seventh, freshman utility Susanna Pate grounded out to score another run for the Red. Despite the valiant comeback effort, Cornell ultimately fell to Yale by a score of 8-7.
“That last loss hurt,” Farlow said. “It hurts because we care … they’re working hard and putting in good effort, and I appreciate that.”
Cornell’s next Ivy League action will come against Dartmouth in a three-game series kicking off at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday March 29 at Niemand-Robison Field. Fans looking to catch the games live can find coverage on ESPN+.
