On March 21, softball traveled down to Princeton, New Jersey, for a three-game series against the Princeton Tigers. The Red has been consistently frustrated by the Tigers over the past few years, as it boasts a 3-12 record against the team since 2019.
After earning a series victory against Yale University for the first time since April 4, 2014, there was reason to believe that the Red could turn around its fortunes against Princeton. However, that would not be the case as Princeton (13-9, 3-0 Ivy) achieved three victories over Cornell (7-11, 2-4 Ivy), 4-6, 0-16 and 0-8 this past weekend.
Following the defeats to Princeton, the Red welcomed Bucknell University (4-23, 2-1 Patriot) to Niemand-Robson Field for a doubleheader on March 24. The Red emerged victorious in both games, winning 11-3 and 10-2, respectively.
Game 1 Against Princeton:
Game one was by far the Red’s best effort in the series, though it didn’t start that way. Princeton starter Cassady Shaw made quick work of the Red in the top of the first inning, coaxing a lineout off sophomore second baseman Charlize Cai, a popout off sophomore infielder Emma Harshberger and a strikeout off senior catcher Lauren Holt.
Senior starter Madelyn Covelli failed to replicate Shaw’s feats. The first batter for the Tigers, third baseman Sonia Zhang, reached first after sophomore centerfielder Susanna Pate committed a fielding error. Zhang was sent home two pitches later after second baseman Graciela Dominguez singled to left center field.
Following Dominguez’s single, Covelli beaned senior shortstop Julia Dumais, placing Dumais on first and Dominguez on second. Designated player Karis Ford then drove Dominguez home on a single and put Dumais on third. Following Ford’s hit, she was pinch-run for by Tiger outfielder Lora Coole, who then stole second.
After facing four batters, the Red had allowed two runs and were facing runners on second and third. Centerfielder Julieta Roa would be Princeton’s first out of the day after attempting a bunt. This relief would be only temporary, however, as the next Tiger batter sent both Dumais and Coole home on a bases-clearing single. Covelli struck out the next two Princeton batters to finally end the inning.
Down by four runs, the Red managed to engineer a slight response in the top of the second inning. Facing a 0-0 count, with two outs and freshman left fielder Tarisa Frans on second, junior right fielder Hailey Pirkey sent Frans home with a double, cutting the deficit to three.
After Covelli produced three outs in the bottom of the second, the Red would respond further in the top of the third inning. The Red’s first batter, Pate, worked a walk off Shaw and was promptly sent to third after Cai doubled. On a full count, Holt would clear the bases with another double, reducing Princeton’s lead to one.
After a Harshberger single moved Holt to third, Holt was sent home by senior shortstop Ella Harrod’s sacrifice fly, tying the game at four runs apiece. Unfortunately for the Red, its momentum was halted there as Shaw quickly produced the two outs needed to end the inning.
In the bottom of the third inning, whatever momentum the Red had was officially extinguished after Ford belted a solo home run past the left field wall, recapturing the lead for Princeton.
It looked like Covelli was continuing her brilliance too, as she needed only three pitches to get the first two outs of the inning. The next two Tiger batters would shatter this trend, as Roa singled and Valenzuela sent her home with a double, doubling Princeton’s lead. After Valenzuela’s double, interim head coach Tara Smith replaced Covelli with Harshberger, who was able to end the inning on her first batter.
Other than Shaw retiring from the game and being replaced by sophomore reliever Keala Hollenkamp, the sixth inning was uneventful.
The Red would have one last chance to tie the game in the top of the seventh. Three pitches in, Holt and Harshberger were already out. However, Harrod sent a single up the middle, placing the tying run at the plate. Frans followed Harrod with a single, sending the winning run up to bat.
Freshman third baseman Sophia Hernandez would have the opportunity to win the game for the Red, but after facing five pitches from Hollenkamp, she struck out on the sixth to end the game, 6-4, in favor of the Tigers.
Game 2:
Two and a half hours after Hernandez struck out to end game one, game two started in earnest. Harshberger began the game on the mound for the Red, while Reece Uehara prepared to do the same for the Tigers.
The Red got out to a quick start in the top of the first, as Holt poked a single up the middle and promptly stole second while Harshberger was up to bat. Harshberger then moved Holt to third with a double into right field. After Harrod reached first base on an error, the Red had the bases loaded with only one out.
Uehara was able to recapture the initiative after she struck out Frans in three pitches. She then coaxed a groundout from Pinkey, extinguishing the Red’s opportunity.
In the bottom of the first, Harshberger was quickly replaced by sophomore reliever Mila Fiordalesi after loading the bases in three batters. Fiordalesi then walked home a batter for Princeton’s first run.
After Roa reached first base on a fielder’s choice which got Dominguez thrown out at home, Valenzuela doubled to left center field, sending two Tiger baserunners home. The Tigers’ next batter, catcher Maddie Ratcheson cleared the bases with a single, plating two more Tiger baserunners. Ratcheson then stole third on a wild pitch.
After Fiordalesi loaded the bases again with a walk of first baseman Jessica Phelps and beaning right fielder Abby Hornberger, Zhang tripled, clearing the bases and adding three more runs to Princeton’s tally.
The Tigers would manage one more run before Fiordalesi earned the last out. At the end of the first, the score was 0-9 in favor of Princeton.
It would only get worse for the Red. In the bottom of the second, Fiordalesi was replaced by Harshberger, but that had no effect as Harshberger surrendered two runs off her first two batters. Smith then yanked Harshberger in favor of junior reliever Laney Freiband, who gave up two more runs before the inning was over.
When it rains, it pours: Princeton added three more runs in the bottom of the third to make the score 0-16.
No further runs would be scored for the rest of the game, which ended in the 5th inning via the run rule.
Game 3:
Coming off back-to-back losses on Saturday, softball returned to Niemand-Robson Field on Sunday morning looking to recover in the series final.
In the first inning, both sides went quietly and scoreless.
The second inning is when Princeton first grabbed the momentum, scoring two quick runs. Ratcheson grounded out to second base but drove in Ford for the first run of the game. Phelps then singled through the left side, plating Roa, making the score 0-2.
In the third inning, Princeton added to its lead once again. Roa batted a single and 2 RBI, with Dumais and Zhang both scoring, making it 0-4. Valenzuala then followed with an RBI single down the left field line, plating Roa home, now 0-5.
In the 5th inning, Ford homered to score Princeton's 6th point, Zhang then singled and Ratcheson scored. Dominguez followed up with a single, helping Phelps score, to make it 0-8. At this point, the run rule was invoked and the game was over.
Overall, The Red’s offense was held to just 2 hits all game, both from Cai. The Red had 2 runners left on base, but did not have any Cornell runners make it to home base. Throughout the three games, Princeton outscored Cornell 30-4, and the Red is now 7-11 overall with a 2-4 record in Ivy League matchups.
Game 1 against Bucknell:
On March 24, Cornell looked to rebound at home from the losses to Princeton.
In the first inning, Bucknell drew the first points as right fielder Barbara Jo Coppola launched a two-run home run to put Bucknell up 2-0. The Red responded strongly in the bottom half, as Holt led off with a solo home run to center field, cutting the deficit to 2-1.
In the second inning, after Cai and Hernandez got on base, Harshberger singled, plating both to give the Red a 3-2 lead
By the third inning, the Red extended its lead with two more runs. Frans scored on a wild pitch, and Cai bunted Pirkey home, pushing the lead to 5-2.
In the fourth inning, with the bases loaded, Holt crushed a grand slam, making it 9-2
In the fifth inning, Bucknell added a run on infielder Brooke Popella RBI double to make it 9-3, but freshman outfielder Delailah Lopez answered with a solo home run in the bottom half to create a lead for the Red at 10-3.
Finally, in the sixth inning, Harshberger added one final run for the Red, singling home sophomore outfielder Addison Pressley to close the scoring at 11-3.
The Red improved to an 8-11 overall record and looked to continue this momentum into game 2
Game 2:
Shortly after their resounding win, the Red set out to extend their winning streak against the Bison.
After a scoreless first inning, the Red got on the board in the second. With runners on base, junior infielder Maddie Ullensvang flied out to center field, bringing Harrod home and giving the Red a 1-0 lead.
Bucknell responded in the top of the third by plating outfielder Haley Speicher and shortstop Reagan Powell to give the Bison a 2-1 advantage.
The Red answered swiftly in the bottom half of the inning as Holt hit a home run to center field, bringing Cai home. Harshberger followed with a solo home run to extend the Red’s lead. After Harrod walked and stole second, Frans singled her home. Prikey and Ullensvang returned the favor, driving Frans home and giving the Red a decisive 6-2 lead.
The Red extended its lead in the bottom of the fourth as Harshberger flied out, bringing Pressley’s triple to base, putting the Red ahead 7-2. The Red kept up the pressure in the fifth with Ullensvang scoring on Green’s triple, Pressley driving in Green with a single and Pate driving in Pressley to extend the lead to 10-2.
With the sweep, the Red sits with a record of 9 wins and 11 losses overall and will look to build on its success in its matchup against the University of Pennsylvania Quakers. The action will begin at 12:30 p.m. on March 28 in Philadelphia.
