BALTIMORE, Md. -- The Cornell softball team split a midweek doubleheader at Morgan State, knocking off the Bears 9-5 in game one before dropping a 10-4 contest in game two. The Big Red moved to 4-20 on the season, while Morgan State is 9-21 overall.
Game One
Cornell rallied from an early 4-0 deficit with a big six-run fourth en route to a 9-5 win in the opener. The Big Red pounded out 14 hits, including six total for the Rooney sisters, Bridgette and Olivia.
Bridgette Rooney was 3-for-4 with a double, home runs and three RBI in the win, moving into the top 10 in school history with her 20 career bombs. Her younger sister was also 3-for-4 with a double and drove in two runs, while freshmen
Miranda Lawson,
Allison Kerce and
Emily Muniz joined sophomore
Brianna Straley with multi-hit games.
Katie Lew earned the win after scattering six hits and striking out five, while
Ashley Delany hurled a pair of perfect innings in relief.
Trailing 4-0 entering the fourth,
Bridgette Rooney's home run got the Big Red on the board and
Olivia Rooney cut the lead to one with a two-run single through the left side.
Brianna Straley tied the game with an RBI single up the middle and reigning Ivy Rookie of the Week Kerce put the visitors ahead with a run-scoring single.
Hanna Crist closed the big inning with a sacrifice fly to make it 6-4.
After Morgan State rallied within 6-5, Cornell put the game away with three more in the sixth. Crist had her second sacrifice fly of the game and
Bridgette Rooney doubled into right-centerfield to score two more. Delany made that lead hold up for Cornell's second non-conference win of the season.
Game Two
Hanna Crist was 2-for-3 with a double and three RBI to stay hot, but Damali Young was 3-for-3 and finished a double short of the cycle with four runs scored and a pair of stolen bases in the 10-4 win for the Bears.
Stephanie Rundlett surrendered four runs in the second as the Big Red turned a 2-0 deficit into a 4-2 lead, but Morgan State bounced back and Rundlett kept Cornell's offense at bay in the final five innings for the win.
Crist's bases-clearing double in the second momentarily gave Cornell the lead, but the home team scored four of its own in the bottom of the second and three more in the fourth to run away with the win. Lew, who picked up the win in game one, allowed just one hit and one run over the final two innings in the circle.
Cornell will visit Mount St. Mary's for a doubleheader on Wednesday, April 3 at 2 p.m.
