ITHACA, N.Y. -- After a bye week and some inclement weather, the Cornell softball team will try to build momentum heading into Ivy League play when it travels to play in this weekend's Penn State Softball Invitational. The Big Red will play five games over three days beginning on Friday, March 18 at Nittany Lion Softball Park.

Cornell opens the weekend with a Friday 3:30 p.m. contest vs. Rider. On Saturday, the host Nittany Lions play the Big Red at 1:30, with Cornell playing its second contest vs. Rider at 6:30. Sunday's schedule includes a 10 a.m. contest with UMass Lowell and a 3 p.m. finale vs. Penn State.

The Big Red is 1-6 in the not so young season, with its seven games matching Niagara and Merrimack for the fewest contests played to date. That will change quickly, as five games this weekend and 37 between Friday and May 8 will test Cornell.

The Cornell pitching staff has kept the Big Red in games, posting a 4.00 ERA and limiting opponents to a .294 batting average in seven contests. The duo of Gabriele Maday (0-3, 3.05 ERA with 15 strikeouts in 20.2 innings) and Mia Burd (0-3, 5.25 ERA with seven strikeouts in 17.1 innings) have thrown the majority of innings, with Maxine McCraw (1-0, 3.50 ERA in 4.0 innings) picking up the team's lone win in the circle.

Of the regulars, Emily McKinney paces the offense with her .278 batting average. Cornell is hitting .153 over the seven-game stretch and has three extra-base hits over that time.

The host Nittany Lions were 10-11 overall entering a midweek contest at Pitt on Wednesday. Head coach Clarisa Crowell's squad sports a solid 3.29 ERA, with Bailey Parshall standing 6-3 with a 1.83 ERA and 83 strikeouts in 76.1 innings of work in the circle. The defense has been brilliant behind her, as Penn State sports a .976 fielding percentage with 13 errors in their 21 contests. At the plate, Ally Kurland has seven home rtuns and 17 RBI while hitting .333, and Cassie Lindmark is hitting .409 with three homers and 15 driven in.

Rider enters the weekend with an 8-6 record that included a 4-1 record at the Hampton/Norfolk State Tournament. The Broncos are hitting a robust .379 as a team, with Jessie Niegocki battting .500 in 54 at bats as one of eight regulars hitting .333 or better. Kathryn Schmierer is 3-1 with a 2.59 ERA in the circle for head coach Davon Ortega.

The UMass Lowell RiverHawks are 11-5 with wins over Seton Hall, a two-game sweep of St. John's and a five-game win streak entering the weekend. Head coach Jen Starek's offense is hitting .269 as a team led by Becca Vaillancourt (.367) and Cayla Tulley (.333, five home runs, 19 RBI). Ryley White is a perfect 7-0 with a 1.64 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 47.0 innings of work to lead the pitching corps.