ITHACA, N.Y. - The Cornell softball team swept the Niagara Purple Eagles on Tuesday afternoon at Niemand Robison-Field. The Big Red took game one in a tight 10-9 victory, and battled through a weather delay in game two to earn a decisive 11-4 win to close out the doubleheader.

Lauren Holt led Cornell across the doubleheader with a strong all-around performance, going a combined 4-for-8 with a home run, a double, five RBIs, and four runs scored, consistently producing in key moments. She was complemented by Emma Harshberger and Sofia Hernandez, who each drove in multiple runs in game two as Cornell scored 21 total runs on the day.

Cornell's pitching staff settled in after early struggles in game one. Harshberger earned the win in relief, tossing 5.0 innings and allowing just one run while stabilizing the game, while Mila Fiordalisi threw a complete-game effort in the second game, allowing four runs (two earned) on six hits with five strikeouts. Despite early traffic, the staff limited damage late and played a key role in securing the doubleheader sweep.

Game One
Niagara struck first in the opening inning, taking a 2-0 lead on a Cornell error that allowed two unearned runs to score. The Big Red responded immediately as Holt launched a two-run home run to tie the game at 2-2, and Hailey Pirkey followed with an RBI single to give Cornell a 3-2 advantage.

Niagara regained control in the second inning with a three-run home run to take a 5-3 lead. Cornell answered with a five-run frame to surge back in front, highlighted by a defensive miscue that allowed two runs to score and an RBI single from Harshberger to make it 6-5. Hernandez capped the inning with a two-run home run, giving Cornell an 8-5 lead.

The Purple Eagles continued to battle, tying the game in the third inning with a pair of runs to make it 8-8. Niagara later took a 9-8 lead in the fifth inning on an RBI double, but Cornell responded once again in the bottom half. Samantha Albert delivered an RBI single to tie the game at 9-9 before Tarisa Frans followed with another RBI single to give the Big Red a 10-9 lead.

Cornell held off Niagara in the late innings to secure the one-run victory. The Big Red's timely hitting and ability to respond to each Niagara push proved to be the difference in the tightly contested game.

Game Two
Niagara opened the scoring in the first inning with two unearned runs to take a 2-0 lead and added two more runs in the third inning to extend the advantage to 4-0. The Big Red answered in the bottom of the third with a seven-run inning, highlighted by a three-RBI double from Holt to cut the deficit to 4-3.

Cornell continued to rally in the third inning as Holt stole home to tie the game at 4-4 before Hernandez launched a two-run home run to give the Big Red a 6-4 lead. A sacrifice bunt from Susanna Pate brought in another run to extend the lead to 7-4, completing the seven-run frame and shifting momentum fully to Cornell.

The Big Red added insurance runs in the fourth inning when Holt reached and later scored on a Niagara error to make it 8-4, and Harshberger followed with an RBI double to extend the lead to 9-4. Cornell continued to build its advantage in the fifth inning on an RBI single from Albert, pushing the score to 10-4.

Cornell capped the scoring in the sixth inning as Harshberger homered to center field to make it 11-4. The Big Red held Niagara scoreless over the final innings to secure the seven-run victory and complete the sweep.

Next Up
The Cornell softball team will return to the diamond this weekend for an Ivy League series against the Columbia Lions. The Big Red and the Lions will meet for a doubleheader on Saturday, April 18th at 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. at Niemand-Robison Field. Cornell and Columbia are set to conclude the series on Sunday, April 19th at 12:30 p.m. at Niemand-Robison Field. All three games will be broadcast on ESPN+.