Box Score (Cornell 10, Marist 1)
Box Score (Cornell 10, Bucknell 6)

FAIRFAX, Va. -- The Cornell softball team jumped out early before exploding for six runs in the third inning to open the 2010 season with a 10-1, five-inning victory over Marist on Saturday afternoon at the George Mason Softball Complex.  Cornell came back in the nightcap to top Bucknell 10-6 behind a three-hit effort from Elise Menaker.

Elizabeth Dalrymple picked up the win on the mound with four innings of three-hit ball, striking out eight and allowing only an unearned run before Jenna Stoller relieved her in the fifth. Ashley Garvey went 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles and thre RBI, while freshman Kristen Towne blasted her first career homer. Marissa Amiraian was 1-for-2 with a triple, two runs scored and an RBI. In the first game outside to begin the George Mason Invitational, Cornell was perfect in 18 total chances.

Dalrymple struck out the side in the first despite allowing an infield single, and Cornell's offense went on the attack. After two walks to lead off the first, Garvey picked right up where she left off in 2009, doubling to right to score both Alyson Intihar and Devon March to make it 2-0. The lead grew to 4-0 when Towne blasted her first career home run, a two-run shot, in the bottom of the third. Cornell added three more runs in the third on a bases loaded walk by March and a two-run single by Elise Menaker, both with two outs. After a pitching change, Garvey doubled to make it 8-0. 

Marist was able to get a run back in the fourth to make it 8-1 with an unearned run. The Big Red answered right back in the bottom of the inning on a run-scoring triple by Amiraian. An Erin Belles run-scoring groundout pushed the edge to 10-1 and Stoller put the Red Foxes away in the bottom of the inning to end the game after five innings.

Menaker was 3-for-4 with a home run, three runs scored and two RBI against the Bison, while Shannon Crane had a pair of hits, including a double. The Big Red pounded out 10 hits and broke open a 3-2 game with five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Ali Tomlinson picked up the win with five solid innings, allowing two runs on five hits.

With a one-run lead heading into the bottom of the fifth, Menaker homered down the left field line to double up the Bison. A Crane double drove in a run, then a Marissa Amiraian double scored two, and she circled the bases herself thanks to a Bucknell fielding error to make it 8-2. The Bison tallied two in the sixth, which was answered by Cornell. Bucknell got within 10-6 with a pair of runs in the seventh, but Lauren Marx was able to get out of trouble.

Cornell returns to action on Sunday when it faces Bucknell at 1:30 p.m., followed by a contest against George Mason at 3:30 p.m.