PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - The Cornell softball team fell to the Drexel Dragons 14-6 in five innings on Monday afternoon at Drexel Softball Field. The Big Red moved to 11-13, while the Dragons improved to 14-15.
Addison Pressley led the way offensively for Cornell, going 2-for-2 with two RBIs, a double, and a run scored, helping spark the Big Red's middle-inning rally. She was joined by strong contributions from
Avery Wolfe (2-for-3, two runs) and
Charlize Cai (two hits), as Cornell totaled nine hits in the contest.
Cornell's pitching staff struggled early but settled in after the opening inning.
Madalyn Covelli was tagged for nine runs in the first inning before
Laney Freiband provided stability, tossing 4.0 innings while allowing five runs and helping limit further damage through the middle innings. The staff combined to allow 14 runs on nine hits with nine walks, as Drexel capitalized on early opportunities to build its lead.
Game Recap
Drexel erupted for 10 runs in the opening inning, beginning with an RBI play on an error to take a 1-0 lead before a two-run single from Masone made it 3-0. The Dragons continued to pile on with a two-run double from Bergmann to extend the lead to 5-0, followed by a sacrifice fly, a solo home run from Calugay, and additional run-scoring plays that pushed the margin to 10-0 after the first inning.
Cornell responded in the second inning when
Addison Pressley doubled to left center to drive in two runs, cutting the deficit to 10-2. Drexel answered in the bottom half with a sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 11-2. The Big Red began to chip away again in the fourth inning, starting with an RBI infield single from
Samantha Esparza to make it 11-3.
Cornell continued its rally in the fourth inning with a series of key hits.
Lauren Holt doubled to right center to drive in two runs and trim the deficit to 11-5, and
Emma Harshberger followed with an RBI single to bring Cornell within 11-6. The Big Red showed offensive life, stringing together multiple hits to get back within striking distance.
Drexel added insurance runs in the fifth inning to put the game out of reach. A wild pitch allowed a run to score and extend the lead to 12-6 before an RBI single from Rowlands and another run-scoring play pushed the advantage to 14-6. With an eight-run lead after five innings, the game concluded via the run rule.
Next Up
The Cornell softball team will return to the diamond on Wednesday for a non-conference doubleheader against LeMoyne. The Big Red and the Dolphins are scheduled for a 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. start at Niemand-Robison Field. Game action will be broadcast on ESPN+.
