Addie Bowman delivered a walk-off hit in Game 1 and Cornell rallied from an early 3-0 deficit in Game 2 to secure a 6-5, 7-3 home-opening softball sweep over Buena Vista Saturday at Van Metre Family Softball Field.
The Rams tallied 12 hits in the opener, four of which came in the final two innings. First-year Linnea Drever doubled home Kaylynn Sparks to tie it at 5-5 in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Winning pitcher Hannah Edwards (2-0) worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the seventh, allowing Cornell to complete the comeback in its final at-bat.
Two walks and a Buena Vista fielding error loaded the bases with one out for No. 9 batter Bowman. The Cornell junior looped a single in front of the right fielder and Peyton Souhrada trotted home with the winning run.
Souhrada finished 3-for-3 with a pair of runs. Drever collected two doubles and two RBIs from the leadoff spot. Starting pitcher Lexi Ellermeier drove in two runs. Miranda Keith and Sparks added two hits apiece.
Edwards fired 4.2 scoreless innings in relief, striking out two and walking none.
In Game 2, junior Hannah Rhoades (1-0) pitched all seven innings to notch her first victory of the season. She allowed two earned runs and held the Beavers (7-15) scoreless over the final five innings. Rhoades fanned two and did not issue a walk.
Trailing 3-2, Cornell forged ahead with a five-run fifth inning. Drever belted a two-run homer to left, the team’s first round tripper of the season. Souhrada connected for an RBI double and Bowman singled home two runs that pushed the Rams ahead 7-3.
Elise Oleson also had an RBI for the Rams, who overcame four errors in the field.