ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Cornell softball team will look to regroup for the stretch run when it meets MAAC leader Siena for two games and Ivy South Division rival Columbia for four more this week. The Big Red will welcome Siena to Niemand-Robison Field on Thursday, April 13 at 2 p.m. (change from 3 p.m.), then hits the road for a pair of contests on Saturday and Sunday, April 15-16. First pitch both days will be 12:30 p.m.
 
Head coach Julie Farlow's squad is led offensively by red-hot junior Megan Murray, who is up to .347 with six doubles, a pair of home runs and 11 RBI on the season after batting .480 in eight contests last week for the Big Red. Though she is the lone regular batting over .300, Cornell's offense has three players with double figures in RBI, led by freshman Bridgette Rooney who had five home runs and 17 RBI in just 75 at bats this season.
 
Cornell has used four different pitchers liberally this season, with freshman Lisa Nelson at 3-3 with a 6.21 ERA in a team-high 53.0 innings of work. Maddie Orcutt (2-6, 4.88 ERA) and Katie Lew (1-5, 7.28 ERA) have also earned at least six starts in the circle. The Big Red is fielding at a .964 clip, good for third in the league, behind its young pitching staff.
 
The Big Red will be attempting to snap an eight-game skid, though four of those losses came by two runs or less. Cornell scored three runs or fewer in six of the eight losses and will be looking to find a groove heading into divisional play in the Ivy League South.
 
Before it gets there, Cornell will have one final non-league tuneup when Siena visits for a doubleheader on Thursday at 2 p.m. The Saints are 8-19 overall entering a Tuesday non-conference doubleheader against Central Connecticut State. The Saints had won five of their last six contests heading into the week, all in MAAC action. Loryn DeFalco (.338, four home runs, 18 RBI) and Chelsey Drew (.324, five home runs, 16 RBI) lead the way offensively for a team hitting .249 overall. Lauren Butts (5-9, 4.07 ERA) and Maddie McMahon (3-6, 7.67 ERA) have seen a majority of the work in the circle so far this year for seventh-year head coach Bill Lajeunesse. The Big Red holds a commanding 24-4 edge in the all-time series, including a doubleheader sweep (9-0, 7-1) the last time the two met in Ithaca back in the 2015 season.
 
Cornell will then turn its attention to the Lions, who are a game back of first place in the division with a 5-3 Ivy mark (12-18 overall). Columbia has almost matched its win total from a season ago when it went 16-32. After opening 5-0 in conference play, the Lions enter a Thursday non-league home doubleheader with Saint Peter's nursing a three-game skid. Madison Gott leads the offense with a .394 batting average and has also hit a team-leading nine doubles, six home runs and 20 RBI. Sommer Grzybek is at .311 with six home runs and 18 RBI. Madison Canby is 8-7 with two saves and a 4.51 ERA while throwing nearly half the team's innings. Third-year head coach Jennifer Teague returns nine starters from last season's team that went 7-13 in conference play. The Big Red leads the all-time series 36-18 after splitting a four-game set in Ithaca last year. The Lions have had the better of the series since 2013, going 8-6 in the last 14 games after Cornell had gone 18-4 in the previous 22 meetings. Cornell has a 15-7 record against the Lions in New York City.