ITHACA, N.Y. – Cornell softball (15-15, Ivy 6-9) starts their eight-game road trip this week with a double header against Binghamton (25-11, AEC 11-2) on Wednesday night with first pitch at 4:30 p.m.
For the weekend, the Big Red will face in state Ivy League opponent, Columbia (17-16, Ivy 9-6) in a double header on the road in New York City starting on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. and final game on Sunday.
All five games will be broadcast on ESPN+.
SERIES INFO
vs. Binghamton
Wednesday, April 23
4:30 p.m. / 6:30 p.m.
Live Stats || Watch
vs. Columbia
Saturday, April 26
12:30 p.m. / 2:30 p.m.
Live Stats || Watch
Sunday, April 27
12:30 p.m.
Live Stats || Watch
SCOUTING BINGHAMTON
This will be the 31st meeting between the Bearcats and Big Red. Cornell has not beaten Binghamton since 2022 in a midweek game in Vestal.
Binghamton is 25-11 (.694) on the season with 11 conference wins in the America East Conference. The Bearcats swept their third straight conference series this past weekend and have now won their last eight games.
Brianna Santos is leading the Bearcats at the plate with a .392 batting average and 49 hits. Elisa Allen and Rachel Carey are long ball threats with 24 combined home runs.
In the circle, Brianna Roberts has the best ERA on the pitching staff with a 2.19 and 103 strikeouts.
SCOUTING COLUMBIA
This will be the 74th meeting between the Lions and Big Red. Last series Cornell took one game off Columbia in a 6-2 victory at home in the first game of a three-game series.
Columbia is one of three teams tied for third in the Ivy League with a 9-6 conference record after taking two games off Ivy leader Princeton this past weekend.
Four batters in the Lions' lineup are batting above .300, led by Cami Neal with a .380, sixth best in Ivy. Neal also leads with 35 hits and has recorded a .637 slugging percentage and 1.029 on base percentage. Sarah Mikami is right behind her with a .374 avg., seventh best in Ivy.
With nine doubles each, Neal and Payton Shimansky are tied for fourth most in the conference. Mikami and Maddie Souza have hit three triples over 33 games to tie for third in most hit in the Ivy.
On the rubber, Emmy Davis and Jordan Hill split the defensive efforts evenly. Davis has the lowest ERA at 4.46 over 59.2 innings with Hill at 5.02 through 68.1 innings and five complete games.
100 CLUB!
In the top of the second inning of the final game against Penn this past weekend, Ella Harrod recorded her 100th career hit with a single on the left side of the field.
Emma Antich (89), Lauren Holt (88) and Sydney Stapf (87) are all less than 15 hits away from joining Harrod. Holt (97) and Antich (80) are also close to 100 career RBIs.
IVY STANDINGS
Princeton (13-3) is still on top receiving its first series loss to Columbia. Three teams (Brown, Harvard, Columbia) are tied for third with a 9-6 conference record.
Brown has the lowest ERA (2.80) for pitchers led by Alexis Guevara with a 1.70 individually.
Princeton has the best batting average of .317 with three batters in the top 10 individually: Karis Ford (.372) and Sonia Zhang (.382).
Lauren Holt has the second most home runs in the Ivy League with nine. Ella Harrod is leading the conference in assists per game at shortstop with 2.53 per game.
Cornell has turned a total of 12 double plays, most in the conference.
NATIONAL RANKINGS
Emma Harshberger remains in the top 10 at eighth in the nation in Toughest to Strike Out, averaging 48.0 at-bats per strikeout after not receiving a strikeout this weekend.
Ella Harrod continues to anchor the defense, ranking 15th nationally in Assists per Game at 2.53.
LAST SERIES
The Big Red took the series 2-1 over Penn giving them their first conference win in the final game of the series after two run rules to open the series.
Cornell celebrated seniors Emma Antich, Maxine McCraw and Reagen London in their last games on Niemand-Robison Softball Field.
Ella Harrod recorded her 100th career hit while extending a six-game streak to lead her team in batting average (.750) through the weekend.
Emma Harshberger continues to produce at the plate going 5-for-10 over the weekend with zero strikeouts.
The Big Red started the first game off in the bottom of the second inning with a big swing from Hailey Pirkey with a solo home run over the left field fence. At the top of the second inning, Lauren Holt caught two Penn runners stealing at second base with the last out using assistance from Ella Harrod, Emma Harshberger and Emma Antich in a rundown situation. The Big Red finished off the game in the fifth inning with a double from Ella Harrod and single from Emma Harshberger setting up a three-run home run for Lauren Holt taking a 7-0 lead.
With the second game at 1-1, the Big Red started an early rally scoring five runs in the bottom of the second. Emma Antich started off with a ground rule double to put her and walked Maddie Ullensvang on second and third. Sydney Stapf then singled down the left field line to score both runners. Ella Harrod hit a RBI single. Ella Harrod, Emma Harshberger, Lauren Holt loaded up the bases. The inning ended with an infield single from Charlize Cai that scored two to extend the lead to 6-1 in favor of the Big Red.
UP NEXT
Cornell travels for its final series against Harvard for three games on May 3-4 that will determine Ivy League Tournament positions.
