The Cornell softball team played Roger Williams and Minnesota Morris for the last games of their Florida spring break trip. The Rams split both games Friday: losing 6-3 to Roger Williams and winning 11-4 over Minnesota-Morris.
The Rams (3-3) game versus the Eagles of Roger Williams (4-6) started off with an RBI single by the Eagles in the bottom of the first countered by a home run in the top of the second inning by junior Miranda Keith to tie the game at 1-1. The bottom of the second inning is where the Rams fell behind after the Eagles put up five runs on five hits to go up 6-1.
In the top of the fourth inning, the Rams scored two more runs behind a double by Keith and a single by freshman Monet Roelle that allowed pinch runner junior MacKenzie Macam to score from third on a throwing error. The Rams were down 6-3 but were held scoreless for the rest of the games as they would go on to lose.
Keith finished with two hits, one run, and one RBI. Roelle finished with two hits as well on three at-bats. Senior pitcher Alyssa Pearson received the loss after pitching 1.2 innings allowing five hits for six runs.
The Rams’ win over Minnesota-Morris was behind a powerful seven-run fourth inning on five hits. The Rams were tied with Cougars 3-3, before heading into the bottom of the fourth inning.
An error on the Cougars’ third basemen allowed junior Kaylynn Sparks and senior Zoie Harvey to score. Harvey was walked and Sparks singled in previous at-bats. Afterward, the Rams had three consecutive hits: a double by senior Erin Puck, and singles by junior Caitlin Babcock and senior Claire Gugerty; which scored three runs to increase the Rams’ lead, to 8-3.
Roelle hit a double and freshman Peyton Souhrada hit a single to both score the last runs of the fourth innings for the Rams as they would increase their lead to, 10-3. The Rams’ added one last run to secure their win in the bottom of the sixth after only giving up one run to the Cougars since the fourth inning. The Rams would go on to win 11-3 behind a dominant outing.
Keith and Souhrada finished with two hits each. Puck had one hit, two RBI, and one double. Pitcher Hannah Rhoades received the win after pitching 3.2 innings striking out four and walking none.
Earlier in the week, the Rams took a 12-7 win over St. Norbert and 11-9 over Saint Mary’s (Indiana).
Cornell chalked up 27 hits on the day and received clutch pitching late from freshman Daelynn Rhoades, who notched her first collegiate wins in a relief role. The right-hander tossed five shutout innings of two-hit ball while striking out seven.
The Rams worked all the way back from a 9-2 deficit against Saint Mary’s, evening the score at 9-9 going into the seventh. Freshman Monet Roelle unloaded a two-out double to deep left-center field to plate Peyton Souhrada and Miranda Keith with the decisive runs.
Roelle finished 3-for-5 with two doubles and three RBIs. Keith and Souhrada had two hits apiece. Souhrada scored three times. Keith, Claire Gugerty and Katie Nelson each knocked in two runs.
The Rams rattled St. Norbert with a huge eight-run frame in the bottom of the sixth. Trailing 7-4, Cornell accounted for nine hits in the inning, highlighted by two-RBI singles from Erin Puck and Keith.
Rhoades held the Green Knights scoreless over the final three innings, striking out six.
Cornell totaled 15 hits, getting multi-hit games from Puck, Gugerty, Keith, Souhrada and Caitlin Babcock. Keith collected three RBIs, followed by Puck and Souhrada with two apiece.