MOUNT VERNON – One big two-out rally and a complete-game pitching gem from
Alyssa Pearson propelled Cornell's softball team into the Midwest Conference Softball Tournament with Saturday's 6-1 opening win over Knox at Van Metre Family Softball Field.
Needing only one win to clinch a postseason berth, the Rams delivered exactly that to secure a spot in the four-team field. Cornell (14-20 overall) dropped the second game, 8-3, and finished alone in fourth place in the MWC race at 9-7.
Coach
Jackie Sernek's Rams will be the No. 4 seed in the MWC Tournament, hosted by Illinois College May 12-13 in Jacksonville, Ill.
Cornell's four seniors – Pearson,
Erin Puck,
Zoie Harvey and
Claire Gugerty – all contributed heavily to landing the Rams in the tournament for first time since 2018.
Pearson celebrated her Senior Day in grand fashion, firing a Game 1 four-hitter against the Prairie Fire (13-23 overall, 7-9 MWC) without yielding an earned run. The left-hander struck out the side in the first inning, setting the tone for her third consecutive pitching victory. Pearson (6-11) finished with four strikeouts and walked three.
Leadoff hitter Puck went 1-for-2 with a pair of RBIs. One of Cornell's all-time leaders in batting average (.388), Puck put Cornell's first run on the board with a sacrifice fly that scored
Addie Bowman in the bottom of the third.
The Rams then rallied for four runs with two outs in the fourth to break the game open. Harvey laced an RBI single, Puck drew a bases-loaded walk and
Caitlin Babcock plated two more runs with a single down the left-field line to make it 5-0 Rams.
Izzy Gullixon bunted home Cornell's final run in the sixth. Babcock collected two of Cornell's eight hits. Bowman scored three times.
Knox turned the tables in Game 2, scoring eight times and benefiting from four Cornell errors in building an 8-2 lead through three innings. Cornell outhit the Prairie Fire, 9-7, but couldn't overcome the large early deficit.
Gugerty went 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles in her final home game. Harvey singled, doubled and drove in a run. Puck added two hits and one RBI.
Pearson again went the distance in Game 2, allowing five earned runs. Knox took advantage of nine walks.
