ITHACA, N.Y. -- Penn softball got off to quick starts in both contests and the Quakers rolled to a doubleheader sweep of Cornell on Saturday afternoon at Niemand*Robison Field. The reigning South Division champs claimed a 12-2, five-inning decision in game one and an 8-4 triumph in game two. Cornell fell to 8-17 (2-8 Ivy), while Penn improved to 15-14 (6-4 Ivy).

Freshmen Karlie Mellott and junior Emily Weinberg each had three hits on the afternoon for the Big Red, which had 15 hits on the afternoon, all singles. The Big Red stranded a total of 18 runners on base in the two contests

Game One
Penn scored three runs in the first, but it was an eight-run fifth inning that ended the game early for the Quakers. The visitors needed just three hits in their big inning, taking advantage of six walks, a hit batter and an error in the frame.

Freshman Megan Murray was 2-for-3, while Mellott had an RBI single in the second. Chloe Pendergast drove in the second Big Red run in the fifth with a pinch-hit single. Rookie Maddie Orcutt took the loss, allowing seven hits,six walks and nine earned runs in 4.0 innings of work.

The Big Red stranded 10 runners in five innings, including leaving the bases loaded in the second and third innings when Cornell trailed just 3-1.

Alexis Borden struck out eight and scattered six hits and two earned runs in picking up the complete game victory. She also surrendered five walks in improving to 7-8 on the season.

Game Two
Penn scored two runs in the fourth and fifth innings and Mason Spichiger did the rest out of the bullpen, silencing Cornell's bats over the final four innings with just one hit allowed.

Penn opened the game with three in the first, but Cornell tied it in the bottom half of the inning. Penn scored once in the second, but the Big Red answered in the bottom half. The Quakers went up 6-4 in the fourth and it looked as though the home team would again match that number, loading the bases with nobody out. In came Spichiger, who induced a pair of infield popups and a groundout to escape the jam. Penn scored twice more in the fifth and the Big Red wouldn't threaten again.

Weinberg went 3-for-4, while Mellott was 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored in the loss. Meg Parker struck out seven against just one walk in the complete game, but fell to 2-5 on the year in surrendering seven earned runs.

The two teams will conclude their four-game set tomorrow when they meet at 12:30 p.m.