MOUNT VERNON – Fresh off back-to-back walk-off wins via the long ball Sunday, Cornell's flair for the dramatic carried into Wednesday's doubleheader against rival Coe at Van Metre Family Softball Field.
 
Sophomore Elise Oleson crunched a grand slam in the bottom of the sixth inning that lifted the Rams to a 4-1 victory in Game 1. Oleson's second grand slam in as many games helped Cornell secure its first series win over the Kohawks since 2015, snapping a 13-game slide.
 
With the comeback victory, Cornell tightened the 2024-25 Bremner Cup All-Sports Series, trailing 6-5 with four head-to-head competitions remaining this spring.  
 
Coe (6-14) rallied in the late innings of Game 2 to take the nightcap, 5-4. That ended a five-game winning streak for the Rams (8-7).
 
The Rams mustered only three hits in the opener, all coming in the decisive sixth inning. Cornell's Brooke Furman broke Natalie Hitt's no-hit bid with a one-out double to deep left. Alexa Corona walked and Addie Bowman singled to pack the bases for Oleson.
 
Oleson worked her way back from an 0-2 count and blasted a towering homer well beyond the left-field wall.
 
Cornell's Lexi Ellermeier (2-2) finished her complete game in the pitching circle, snagging a sharp line drive for the final out with two runners on in Coe's seventh. The sophomore limited the Kohawks to five hits and one run, while striking out three.
 
The Rams were on the verge of sweeping the Kohawks in Game 2, taking a 4-1 lead into the sixth. Coe pulled within 4-3 and then took advantage of a two-out, two-run error by the Rams to forge ahead 5-4.
 
Cornell stranded two runners in the sixth and went down in order in the seventh as the Kohawks salvaged the split.
 
The Rams outhit Coe, 10-5. Linnea Drever went 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles. Brianna Risley also had two hits, including a double. Peyton Souhrada singled home two runs during Cornell's three-run first inning.  
 
Cornell starter Hannah Rhoades (4-1) was dealt her first pitching defeat of the season. She surrendered only two earned runs over seven innings.
 
Coming up – The Rams travel to play Loras for a doubleheader at 1 p.m. Saturday in Dubuque.