PHILADELPHIA – The University of Pennsylvania softball team played its longest game in six years as it out lasted Cornell in game one for an 8-7 victory in 12 innings.
Bella Fiorentino was the hero in game one as her hit in the bottom of the 12th allowed
Sarah Schneider to score the winning run. Game one fell just six minutes shy of four hours. Cornell took game two as it hit a grand slam in the sixth inning that proved to be the difference in a 5-2 Penn loss.
GAME 1: Penn 8, Cornell 7 (12 innings)
Cornell opened the game with two runs in the top of the first as they hit a two-RBI base hit to right center with two outs.
Dana Anderson got Penn on the board in the bottom of the third with an RBI single to score
Sarah Schneider.
The Quakers took a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the fourth as
Madison Bauerle scored on an error by the Big Red second baseman to tie the game at 2-2.
Bella Fiorentino gave Penn its first lead of the day with an RBI single to score
Brianna Brown and S. Schneider, making it 4-2 Penn.
The Big Red used a solo shot and a two-run base hit to take a 5-4 lead in the top of the fifth. An inning later they added another run on an RBI base hit up the middle to take a 6-4 lead.
Corrie Phillips entered the game as a pinch hitter and walked. S. Schneider then did what she's been doing all season and hit her seventh home run of the season to tie the game at 6-6 in the sixth inning.
The game would stay tied and head to extra innings as Penn failed to score with two runners on in the bottom of the seventh.
Olivia Szewczyk pitched a 1-2-3 top of the ninth that started with a come backer that she snagged for the first out.
In the top of the 11th inning, Cornell's shortstop reached on a fielder's choice with the bases loaded that scored the runner from third to give the visitors a 7-6 lead.
Emma Nedley tied the game at 7-7 in the bottom of the 11th for her third home run of the season.
Julia Longo pitched a 1-2-3 top of the 12th to send it to the bottom of the 12th.
Julia Schneider and
Sarah Schneider opened the half inning drawing back-to-back walks.
Brianna Brown grounded out to the shortstop for the first out but got the job done as she advanced both runners into scoring position. Fiorentino came up with one out and hit a base hit that the shortstop couldn't handle and allowed
Sarah Schneider to score the winning run.
Penn used four pitchers as
Payton Bean made the start and went 4.1 innings allowing five runs on four hits while striking our two and walking seven.
Rachel Riley allowed one run on four hits while striking out one and walking one in one inning of work.
Olivia Szewczyk scattered three hits and allowed just one run in five innings of work in relief. She struck out four Cornell hitters and walked one.
Julia Longo came in for the final 1.2 innings and recorded a scoreless outing allowing no hits or runs while striking out one.
The first game of the doubleheader lasted just shy of four hours as it ended in three hours and 53 minutes. The 12-inning affair was the longest since Penn lost a 10-9 game against Maine in 2016.
GAME 2: Cornell 5, Penn 2
Game two lasted just one hour and 40 minutes.
Penn jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first as Brown reached on a throwing error by Cornell's shortstop that allowed
Sarah Schneider to score.
The game remained 1-0 until the sixth inning, when the Big Red hit a grand slam to take a 4-1 lead. They then added a fifth run in the top of the seventh on a base hit to left.
The Quakers rallied in the bottom half of the inning to push across one run but that was all they could muster up as they dropped game two, 5-2.
Julia Longo pitched the complete game tossing five scoreless frames before allowing five runs in the final two innings. She struck out four and walked three.
Quaker Notemeal
- Penn hit two home runs on Saturday bringing its season total to 20. Sarah Schneider hit a game-tying two-run shot in the sixth inning for her seventh of the year. Emma Nedley tied the game at 7-7 in the 11th inning for her third on the season.
- Saturday's doubleheader fell just shy of six hours and lasted 19 innings as the total time from first pitch of game one to the final pitch of game two was five hours and 54 minutes.
- Laurel McKelvey went 4-for-5 in game one bringing her season total to 11 hits which is two more than her freshman season when she had nine in 16 games played.
Up Next
Penn and Cornell are set to wrap up its three-game series on Sunday at Penn Park with first pitch set for 12:30 p.m. The Red and Blue will then host Villanova for a single game at 4 p.m. on Wednesday at Penn Park.
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