Box Score
AMHERST, Mass.—The Big Red softball team concluded its season on Saturday evening with a 3-1 loss to Sacred Heart in its second game of the NCAA tournament. Senior Jessy Berkey launched her 13th home run of the season in the fourth inning to drive in the Big Red only run of the game. Cornell ends its 2009 campaign with a 42-13 record.
Cornell totaled five hits for the game and committed one error. Sophomore Elizabeth Dalrymple ends her second season with Cornell with a 19-5 record and had three strikeouts on the day. Berkey, Alyson Intihar, Cassie Walisiak, Meg Risica and Vanessa Leonhard each had hits for the Big Red.
The Pioneers were led by Shannon McCoy who went 2-for-3 at the plate with two RBI. Jasmin Vicente also notched two hits, while Taylor Froelich drove in a run for Sacred Heart. Jenn Russell gave up one run for the Pioneers to improve to 19-15 for the season with six strikeouts.
The Big Red opened the game batting, serving as the visiting team for its second-straight NCAA game. Alyson Intihar let the first pitch go by as a called strike, but was hit by her 18th pitch of a season to take first base. Freshman Cassie Walisiak tried to advance Intihar with a sac bunt, but couldn't connect and struck out. Elise Menaker hit a hard grounder to second base. The Pioneers' player threw the ball over the first basemen's head allowing Intihar and Menaker to advance to second and third. Sacred Heart pitcher Jen Russell got herself out of trouble with a ground out by Garvey and followed by striking out Risica.
With a 1-1 count in the bottom of the inning, Sacred Heart's Taylor Froelich led off with a solo home run over the centerfield fence. Dalrymple quickly recovered and struck out her next batter, Jessica Perez. The Big Red made the second out with a routine pop up to Devon March. Amanda Bradley followed with a hard ground ball to second base, that was bobbled to allow her to reach base. Betsy Harvey knocked a solid grounder to Intihar at short stop and the junior made the play at first to end the inning.
Russell struck out three-straight Big Red batters to keep Cornell scoreless in the second.
Dalrymple gave the Big Red a quick first out by putting Adrian Fitzsimon down 1-2 in the count with two foul balls and handed her strike three to send her back to the dugout. On another 1-2 count, Pioneer catcher Shannon McCoy sent the ball through the leftside of the infield. Jasmin Vicente followed with a hit that dropped into shallow left field. Alyssa Garza laid down a sac bunt to Dalrymple, and the pitcher grabbed the second out at first base. The Big Red intentionally walked Taylor Froelich to load the bases looking for another out. Dalrymple retired Perez herself, drawing three-straight missed swings.
March faced a 3-2 count to lead off the third inning and took ball four to take first base. Intihar hit a deep fly ball to right field, but the Pioneer player made the catch for the first out. Walisiak knocked the ball through the right side of the infield for the Big Red's first hit and Marissa Amirian came in to run for Cornell. The Big Red looked to take advantage of the baserunners, but the Pioneers fielded two ground balls to end the inning.
In the bottom of the inning, Courtney Lee took advantage of a deep playing Berkey in right field to have a fly ball drop in. Amanda Bradley followed with a ground ball to short, but Intihar was unable to complete the play because no one was at first base. With two outs, Shannon McCoy hit a hard single to left centerfield to drive in two runs to put Sacred Heart up, 3-0.
Senior Meg Risica smashed a ball to right centerfield, but Perez ran from right field to rob her of a hit. Classmate Berkey grabbed the first pitch and sent it over the leftfield fence for her 13th home run over the season.
The Big Red infield brought out spectacular plays in the bottom of the fourth inning. Garza popped up to March at second base for the first out. Froelich hit a high foul ball behind the plate and catcher Vanessa Leonhard looked to make the play but lost the ball in the lights. The ball rolled off Leonhard, but first baseman Ashley Garvey was there to grab the ball for the out. With two outs and a 3-1 count, Perez smoked the ball down the third base line. Third baseman Menaker robbed her of the hit making a great snag and threw her out at first base.
With one out in the fifth, Intihar notched Cornell's third hit of the game with a line drive double to centerfield. Amiraian advanced her to third when she slapped a ground ball to second base. Menaker was looking to drive in Intihar with a deep hit to centerfield, but Froelich was in position to end the inning for Cornell. The Big Red retired three-straight batters with ground outs.
Risica notched the only hit for the Big Red of the sixth inning with a single to short stop when and she beat the throw. With two outs in the bottom of the inning, Vicente dropped a hit into shallow centerfield, but Menaker ended the inning fielding a grounder at third base.
In the seventh, Leonhard led the Big Red off with a double to leftfield off the 3-2 pitch. Freshman Morgan Cawley came in to run for Cornell at second. March followed her in the lineup and flew out to shallow leftfield. Intihar hit a hard fly ball to leftfield, but the Pioneer player was in position to make the out. Amiraian grounded out to second base, and the Sacred Heart player ended Cornell's season with the out.
