PHILADELPHIA- The University of Pennsylvania softball team split its Ivy League opener with Cornell on Friday evening.

The Quakers took game one 3-2, as Chloe Lesko scored the eventual winning run on a wild pitch in the bottom of the sixth. Penn battled in game two, tied the game in the bottom of the seventh to force extras, but surrendered a three-run homerun in the top of the eighth which secured the 7-4 win for the Big Red.

With the split, the Red and Blue are 6-12 and 1-1 in Ivy play, Cornell moves to 3-12 and 1-1 in conference action.

FINAL: Penn 3, Cornel 2
Although the Big Red were able to produce traffic on the bases in both the top of the 1st and 2nd innings, starter Rachel Riley was able to escape without any damage.

 In the top of the third however, Cornell struck first with a single, a sacrifice bunt, a single down the left field line and a ground out off the bat of Maddie Ullensvang to Riley brought in the first run of the game.

The Quakers grabbed their first hit in the bottom of the fourth inning when Delaney Smith singled to the shortstop, Blake Landow came in to pinch run and advanced to second on a single from Sammy Fenton. With one out, Chloe Lesko walked to load the bases which set up one of Penn's most productive hitters, Katie Reagan. Reagan brought in Landow with a sacrifice fly to right field, which tied the game 1-1.

With two outs in the top of the fifth, Emma Antich tripled and Ullensvang walked, but once again Riley was able to escape out of the jam without any trouble.

In the top of the sixth, Cornell took back the lead when Hailey Pirkey cleared the center field wall with her first homerun of the season.

Penn struck back in the bottom of the frame when Dana Anderson doubled down the right field line to lead off the inning. Maia Hartley pinch ran for Anderson and then stole third, putting herself in prime position to score. Lesko then singled, which drove in Hartley to tie the game 2-2. Reagan moved Lesko into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt, and then took third on a wild pitch. Moments later starting pitcher Maddie Covelli threw another wild pitch which allowed Lesko to cross the plate.

The 3-2 score would stand, as Kelly Zybura entered the game and got the final two outs of the top of the seventh to secure the game one victory for the Quakers.

FINAL/8: Cornell 7, Penn 4
Much like game one, the Big Red jumped on the scoreboard first. In the top of the second Antich walked and was taking off for second base when Ullensvang executed a sacrifice bunt, allowing Ullensvang to round the bases and eventually score. Although Cornell had three more runners reach safely in the inning, Zybura escaped the inning surrendering the lone run.

Similarly to game one, the Quakers were held scoreless until the fourth inning. With one out, Lesko drew a walk and was brought in on a triple to deep right field off the bat of Julia Mortimer, which tied the game 1-1.

The Big Red answered in the top of the fifth when Ella Harrod hit her first homer of the year, a solo shot to give Cornell the 2-1 lead.

Cornell extended its lead in the top of the sixth as a leadoff double was followed by a single and then a ball misplayed in the outfield, which allowed the third run for the Big Red to score. With one out, and a runner at third Pirkey flied out to left field which allowed Sydney Stapf to cross the plate. From there, Mari Zorrilla walked, Kate Callaway singled and another walk loaded the bases, which forced Olivia Szewczyk to enter out of the bullpen. Szewczyk got the final out of the frame, but the Quakers trailed 4-1.

Penn headed into the bottom of the seventh down three runs and were able to tie the game. Reagan led off the inning with a single up the middle, and Hartley came in as a pinch runner. Two ground outs moved Hartley to third base, as a single from Megan Huang brought in the freshman to cut the lead in half. Briana Brown singled, which put two runners on with two outs. Smith had an infield single which went off the glove of Kyrie Denny in the circle, Huang was rounding the bases and used her quickness to score. Brown was also running on the play with two outs, as an errant throw attempting to get Brown at third rolled into outfield, which led to Brown crossing the plate as the tying run. The Quakers were able to land two more runners into scoring position in the bottom of the frame, but could not score, as the game stood 4-4, heading into extra innings.

In the top of the eighth, a single and a walk put two runners on with no outs. Game one starter Riley entered, looking to shut down the threat. Riley got the next two batters to pop up and fly out. With two outs, Lauren Holt blasted her team-leading fifth homerun of the year, a three-run shot that flew over the wall in center.
The 4-1 lead would hold, as the Quakers went down in order in the bottom of the to close out the evening.

Quaker Notemeal 

• Penn scored three runs on four hits in the game one win.
• Smith, Fenton, Lesko and Anderson each had a knock in the opening game of the doubleheader.
• Lesko and Reagan accounted for the team's two RBIs.
• Anderson had the lone extra-base hit for the Quakers in the win.
• Brown, Hartley, and Huang each had a stolen base in game one.
• In the circle Rachel Riley picked up her second win of the season, going 6.1 innings, surrendering six hits, two earned runs and struck out one.
• Zybura picked up her first save of the year, getting the final two outs of game one.
• Brown led the way for Penn in game two, with a pair of singles.
• Seven different Quakers attributed to the nine hits in game two.
• Smith, Mortimer and Huang drove in the RBIs in the game two loss.
• Julia Mortimer picked up her second triple of the season in game two.
• The Red and Blue used three pitchers in game two, Zybura took the loss and went 5.2, gave up four earned runs off six hits, also striking out a pair. Szewczyk went 1.1 and allowed two earned runs and two hits. Riley entered the game with no outs and two runners on in the eighth, and gave up the three-run homerun, but only a single earned run.

Up Next
Penn will look for the series win on Sunday, when the Big Red will return to Penn Park for a 12:30 p.m. first pitch.