After this weekend’s decisive victories, the softball team is hoping that some of the squad’s success will carry over into today’s midweek games against Albany. The Red will play its first game against the Great Danes at 3 p.m., and the second one will follow at 5:30 p.m., both at Cornell’s own Niemand-Robison field.

The Red (15-8, 3-1 Ivy League) previously encountered Albany (12-10, 4-2 A-East) at the George Mason Tournament in Fairfax, Va. earlier in the season. That particular game ended positively for Cornell, as it handily defeated the Great Danes, 9-1. However, the players emphasized that they never underestimate their opponents.

“We approach every single game the same way,” said senior center fielder Devon March. “We keep the same mindset … we can never take a team lightly.”Staying hot: First baseman Ashley Garvey looks to continue her strong hitting today against Albany after a 3 RBI day against Harvard in Saturday’s doubleheader. - By: Beth Spergel

Although the Red defeated Albany in the last meeting between the two teams, it is clear that the Danes are shaping up to be worthy opponents for the Red. The visitors lost a closely contested game to Hartford on Sunday, but before that they were riding a four game winning streak. The Great Dane squad is led by a talented offense, with players such as junior Gina Mason — boasting a batting average of .426 — bringing a formidable presence to the plate. In addition, a strong group of pitchers will be doing its best to keep the Red’s offense in check.

Although Albany is not an Ivy League opponent — and therefore the outcome of this game is technically unimportant — the Cornell players certainly believe that these non-conference games hold their own kind of significance.

“They’re a solid team, and it will be a good challenge for us to play them,” said junior pitcher Elizabeth Dalrymple.  “Even though it’s not Ivy play, it still means a lot to us to get these wins.”

The Red is certainly well prepared to fight for a victory in today’s games. On the offensive end, the team has been consistently high scoring — in the past four games alone, Cornell has knocked in a total of 24 runs. In addition, the Red’s defense has been impressive at keeping errors to a minimum; and pitchers such as Dalrymple who recorded 26 strikeouts in her two games this weekend have been holding their own on the mound.

“We’ve been doing a really good job so far,” March said. “We just need to be able to stay focused … these midweek games are a good opportunity for us to keep our momentum going.”

If the Red is able to put out a solid performance today, then it is quite possible that the energy level from these games will carry over into the more crucial Ivy League matchups this weekend against Yale and Brown.

“Obviously Ivy League play is our biggest concern, but stringing together those weekend matches with a win in these midweek games would be a great transition,” Dalrymple said. “A win would just keep us excited and ready to play.”