PHILADELPHIA— The University of Pennsylvania softball team dropped game one of their three-game series against Cornell earlier this afternoon in Ithaca, N.Y. by a final score of 8-0.
With the result, Penn fell to 2-31-1 on the season and 0-16 in conference play.
Final: Cornell 8, Penn 0 (after 5 innings)
The Big Red struck first this afternoon, taking a 1-0 lead in the second inning with a home run from Hailey Pirkey. Cornell built momentum in the third, tacking on three more runs after executing some successful small-ball offense. Run number two came from a single by Ella Harrod to bring Addison Pressley across the plate. Emma Harshberger then hit a single of her own to score Harrod for the Big Red's third run. Later in the inning, Charlize Cai laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance Harshberger, but an error on the play allowed Cai to make it to second and Harshberger to score.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Lauren Holt forced a pitching change after sending a three-run shot over the right-field fence to clear the bases. With one out on the board, Pirkey came to the plate again and sent a double to center field to put a runner in scoring position. Maddie Ullensvang singled, advancing Pirkey to third to set up the walk-off. Sydney Stapf stepped into the batter's box with two outs on the board and a chance to end the game. As Stapf avoided a wild pitch that made it past the catcher, Pirkey seized the opportunity and crossed the plate to end the game in dramatic fashion. Cornell took game one of the series, 8-0 after five innings.
Up Next
The Quakers are scheduled to close out their series at Cornell tomorrow with a doubleheader starting at 11 a.m. Should foul weather halt play, any remaining games will be played on Sunday, also starting at 11 a.m.
Penn vs. Cornell
Saturday, April 19, 2025 | 11 a.m.
Niemand-Robison Softball Field | Ithaca, N.Y.
Watch (Game 1) | Watch (Game 2) | Live Stats
For the latest on Penn Softball, follow @Penn_Softball on X and Instagram, and on the web at PennAthletics.com.
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