Cornell’s softball team was victim to one big inning Sunday morning in a 9-0 setback to Aurora at Legends Way Field.
The Spartans broke a scoreless game with a seven-run third inning in which they sent 12 batters to the plate. Aurora (1-0), a 35-win team a year ago, ended the contest early after scoring single runs in the fourth and fifth frames.
Third baseman Claire Gugerty accounted for Cornell’s lone hit, a leadoff single in the bottom of the fourth.
Aurora capitalized on five Cornell errors and recorded eight strikeouts in the pitching circle
Sunday’s scheduled game with Wittenberg was canceled.
Earlier in the week, Cornell took a 12-1 loss to Wheaton and 13-3 loss to Eastern Nazarene Saturday, March 5.
The Rams jumped ahead early against Wheaton in the opener, getting an RBI single from Miranda Keith that scored Caitlin Babcock in the top of the first.
Wheaton took control with a nine-run second frame and outhit the Rams for the game, 9-3. Six of Wheaton’s runs were unearned.
Babcock doubled and Mary Puffett singled for Cornell’s other hits in the contest. Freshman Skylar McCartney-Puzio pitched 1.2 scoreless innings in relief.
In Game 2, freshman leadoff hitter Addie Bowman went 2-for-2 with a run and an RBI to lead Cornell’s seven-hit attack against Eastern Nazarene (1-0). Olivia Richards and Babcock each doubled for the Rams. Gugerty and Babcock each drove in a run.
The Rams, once again, scored the initial run of the game. But Eastern Nazarene charged ahead with seven runs in the second and five more in the third.
The Rams also took a loss against Moravian 9-0 and 13-3 against Houghton.
The Rams dropped a tough one in Game 2 to Houghton, after carrying a 3-2 lead into the seventh. Houghton (4-4) tied it with a run in the top of the seventh and broke it open by scoring 10 times in the ninth.
Julissa Rivera and Eva Stewart had two hits apiece and both scored a run to pace the Rams (0-4). Stewart tallied Cornell’s lone extra-base hit, a triple. Richards had one run and Babcock recorded two sacrifice bunts and one RBI.
Freshman pitcher Hannah Rhoades gave the Rams five strong innings in a starting role. She surrendered just three hits and one run, which was unearned.
The Rams were held to two hits in the opener against Moravian (10-0), an NCAA Tournament team a season ago. Moravian built a 6-0 cushion through three innings and ended it with three more in the sixth.
Zoie Harvey doubled and Gugerty singled for the Rams.