Softball drops two to Cornell

Cornell secured a first place finish in the Ivy League South Division by defeating the Columbia softball team in a pair of games yesterday.

Game one was scoreless until the bottom of the third when Cornell second baseman Izzy Pines hit a home run to lead off the inning. But Columbia answered in the top of the fifth inning, turning shortstop Jennifer Bergeron’s one out single into a run. Freshman Alison Lam and junior Anne Marie Skylis hit back-to-back singles, loading the bases for junior Karen Tulig’s RBI on a fielder’s choice to tie the score at 1-1. But Cornell scored three runs in the top of the sixth inning, including infielder Ashley Garvey’s two-RBI double with one out and center fielder Devon March’s two out RBI single to score Garvey.

Bergeron hit a leadoff single to start the seventh inning, but Elizabeth Dalrymple retired the next three Columbia hitters in order, earning her 16th win of the season in a 4-1 Cornell victory.

In the second game, the Lions surrendered a season high 18 runs in five innings to the Big Red offense. However, the Light Blue offense managed to get to Dalrymple for their only first inning runs of the series. Tulig led the rally with a one-out base hit to center, followed by a successful bunt by Dani Pineda that resulted in an error and allowed Tulig to reach third base. Kayla Lechler hit a single down the left field line to score Tulig, and Maggie Johnson followed with a RBI base hit to score Pineda. Stephanie Yagi’s single to the pitcher loaded the bases with two outs, and Bergeron’s single to left brought home Lechler to give Columbia a 3-0 lead.

But Cornell answered with four runs in the bottom of the first and six more in the second inning to put the game out of reach. Dyrample won her 17th game of the year, allowing two unearned runs off five hits in four innings. Lauren Marx allowed three runs (two earned) off five hits to seal the win in her one inning of work.

Columbia will play its final nonconference opponent, St. Peter’s, this Thursday in Jersey City, N.J. in a doubleheader scheduled for 3 p.m.