FAIRFAX, Va. -- The Cornell softball team jumped out to early leads, staved off rallies and swept a pair of Sunday afternoon games to close out the 2018 Cherry Blossom Classic at George Mason's Softball Complex. Cornell improved to 4-5 on the season with a 3-2 win over Siena and a 7-4 triumph in eight innings vs. George Mason.

Game 1
Tori Togashi homered and Lisa Nelson picked up her first win of the season with a complete game victory as the Big Red topped Siena 3-2. Erin Rockstroh's RBI single with two outs in the sixth proved to be the go-ahead run.

Togashi was 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored behind Nelson, who went the distance while scattering six hits. Nelson struck out five and allowed just the two earned runs, holding the Saints after a two-run fourth inning put Siena in the lead.

The Big Red senior designated player singled to open the third and scored two batters later on a Brianna Straley double. After Siena went up 2-1, Togashi's solo shot in the fifth tied it up. 

Game 2
Cornell put up four runs in the eighth inning, answering a George Mason rally and completing the Sunday sweep with a 7-4 win in extra innings.

Katie Lew went all eight innings in the circle, scattering nine hits and working around four Big Red errors to improve to 3-2 on the year. 

Megan Murray was 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles, Rebecca Kubena doubled twice and Togashi stayed hot with a home run and two RBI in the win. 

The Patriots rallied for two runs in the bottom of the seventh to tie it up, but Cornell answered in a big way.  Using the international tiebreaker with a runner on second to start the eighth, Megan Murray doubled in a run, Madeline Avery drove her in with a single and Togashi put the game out of reach with a two-run shot, her second of the day.

George Mason got one run back in the bottom of the frame, but Lew was able to shut the door.