MOUNT VERNON – Cornell's softball team went pitch-for-pitch with Midwest Conference's second-place Illinois College, which needed rallies in its final at-bats of both games to claim a 3-2, 5-3 sweep over the Rams Saturday at Van Metre Family Softball Field.
Cornell (6-21 overall, 4-6 MWC) was one strike away from taking the opener, when the Lady Blues (16-11 overall, 9-2 MWC) forged ahead 3-2 on a two-run single up the middle in the top of the seventh inning.
In Game 2, Illinois College struck twice in the seventh to take a 5-3 lead. The Rams loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the seventh for slugger
Miranda Keith, who was retired on a hard line drive to the right fielder to end the game.
Freshman pitcher
Hannah Rhoades (0-4) gave the Rams a quality start in the opener, scattering seven hits over seven innings. She yielded one run in the first and wasn't scored upon again until the seventh.
Marissa Faletti and Keith each recorded an RBI for the Rams.
Erin Puck collected two of the team's five hits. It was Puck's team-high eighth multi-hit game of the season.
The Rams grabbed a 3-1 lead in Game 2 on Faletti's two-run single in the second. Illinois College capitalized on a two-run throwing error in the fifth that tied it at 3-3.
Puck was 1-for-3 with a run and an RBI.
MacKenzie Macam and
Addie Bowman each scored a run.
Alyssa Pearson (4-10) went the distance in the pitching circle. She allowed five singles and only three earned runs.
The Rams travel to play Knox (3-24 overall, 1-11 MWC) for a 1 p.m. doubleheader Sunday in Galesburg, Ill.
