MOUNT VERNON – Junior left-hander Alyssa Pearson twirled a three-hit shutout in Sunday's 4-0 Game 2 victory as the Rams salvaged a Midwest Conference softball split with Ripon at Van Metre Family Softball Field.
 
Cornell (5-14 overall, 3-1 MWC) dropped the opening game, 4-2, despite outhitting the Red Hawks by a 10-5 margin.
 
Pearson finished a strong weekend in the pitching circle, collecting two wins and one save. She was in a groove against Ripon (3-19 overall, 1-3 MWC), surrendering just three singles over seven innings. Pearson struck out four and walked three.
 
The Red Hawks did not advance a runner past second base until the seventh inning against Pearson. Ripon loaded the bases in its final at-bat, although Pearson escaped the jam with a game-ending strikeout to preserve the team's first shutout of the season.
 
Olivia Richards, Miranda Keith and Erin Puck led Cornell's lineup with two hits apiece, each recording a double. Keith and Claire Gugerty both had an RBI in Cornell's two-run fourth inning that stretched the lead to 3-0. Sydni Coleman plated Cornell's final run in the sixth.
 
In Game 2, Addie Bowman went 3-for-3 from the No. 8 spot in the lineup. Julissa Rivera and Caitlin Babcock also had multi-hit games.
 
Keith put the Rams ahead 1-0 with an RBI single in the bottom of the first. Marissa Faletti's grounder brought Cornell within 4-2 in the fourth, which is where the score stood the rest of the way.
 
Cornell freshman pitcher Eva Stewart was effective in relief, tossing 3.2 scoreless innings and allowing only one hit.    
 
The Rams have a rescheduled doubleheader at home Thursday against Beloit (8-10 overall, 2-4 MWC). First pitch is 5:30 p.m.