BALTIMORE, Md. – The Cornell softball team (6-5) open the UMBC Invitational with wins over Holy Cross and Rhode Island at the Diamond at UMBC on Friday.
Cornell 25, Holy Cross 2
Cornell scored its third most runs in the history of the program with 25 against Holy Cross, only one run behind the second most of 26 against Copin State in March of 1995. The Big Red were also recorded the third most RBIs (20), second most hits (22) and tied for the most doubles (7) in a single game.
Cornell hit three home runs in the game, the most in a single game since March 2019 against Yale.
Sydney Stapf led the Big Red with four hits and eight RBIs including a home run in the fifth.
The Big Red started the first inning putting four runs on the board with a two-run homer from Ella Harrod, scoring Addison Pressley. Emma Harshberger and Lauren Holt reach base by Crusaders errors. Hailey Pirkey then singled to center field to score both Harshberger and Holt.
The second inning was the biggest rally for Cornell. Stapf started with a double to left field. Pressley walked to cause a pitching change. Harrod added a single to advance runners. Hold reached on a fielder's choice by the pitcher that got Stapf out at the plate. Charlize Cai then reached first on a error that scored Pressley. Maddie Ullensvang singled up the middle, scoring two runners followed by a wild pitch that advanced runners and scored one. Stapf singled to center field to score two base runners as the final efforts of the inning with the Big Red up 11-0 after two innings.
The third inning was more runs for the Big Red with a Holt double followed by a two RBI single from Cai and capped by a three-run homer from Antich to extend Cornell's led to 16-0.
With Holt on second base at the top of the fourth inning, Cai laid down a bunt to send Holt to third and find herself safe at first. Pirkey walked to load up the bases. Ullensvang singled to short stop to score Holt with the bases still loaded when Stapf stepped up to the plate. Stapf hit a grand slam of the left field fence to make it 21-0.
Holy Cross added their first run of the game in the bottom of the fourth with a solo home run from Goedel, 21-1.
Reagen London and Cai produced back-to-back doubles in the top of the fifth followed by a single from Pirkey and another double from Antich and Stapf to score four runs with the score at 25-1.
The Crusaders put one more run on the board before ending the game after five innings.
Cornell 3, Rhode Island 2
Cornell had seven hits in their second game against Rhode Island. The Big Red carried over their momentum from the first game to put the first two runs up in the bottom of the first inning.
Pressley, Harrod and Harshberger each had a single in the first inning. Harshberger's single to right field scored Pressley from second base. Holt then grounded out to second, scoring Harrod for an RBI to make it 2-0.
The Rams answered at the top of the second with a solo home run and two Big Red errors to tie up the game 2-2.
The two teams held each other through the middle innings until Cornell scored their final run in the bottom of the sixth.
Harrod started the rally for Cornell with a single up the left side then stole second base. Harshberger received a walk to front load the bases and caused a Rhody pitching change. Cai stepped up to the plate with a single to right field to score Harrod from second base for what would be the winning run 3-2.
UP NEXT
The Big Red continue with the UMBC Invitational at 2 p.m. tomorrow against Holy Cross.
