ITHACA, N.Y. — The Columbia softball team combined to hit four home runs, including two grand slams, in a Saturday doubleheader at Cornell. The Lions hit three homers en route to an, 11-0, game-one victory. Despite a grand slam to open the scoring in game two, Cornell rallied to win the back end, 5-4.
Maria Pagane and
Jaden Hill cranked Columbia's (5-15, 3-2 Ivy) two slams. Pagane's was part of a two-homer, five-RBI game for the fifth-year graduate in the opener. The Orlando, Florida native launched a solo shot to open the scoring in the third. An inning later, she went opposite field to clear the bases and balloon Columbia's lead to 7-0. The blasts were her first two of the season.
Pagane's slam was part of an explosive eight-run inning.
Cami Neal was hit by a pitch to force in the first run of the frame. The next batter,
Lauren Osborne, kept the merry-go-round in motion with an RBI single back through the middle. After Pagane brought everyone home with one swing, the Lions kept the inning going courtesy of a
Jaden Hill double and
Bubba Gleaves homer, making it a 9-0 game.
Run-scoring hits by
Kat LoVerde and
Lauren Apollaro in the fifth made it an 11-0 blowout.
Jordan Hill (3-4) finished off a spectacular pitching performance in the bottom half, retiring the Big Red in order for a one-hit shutout. The reigning Ivy League Rookie of the Week allowed her only hit in the third, but otherwise retired 15 of the 17 batters she faced, striking out a career-high six in just five innings.
The Lions looked like they might be on their way to sweeping the doubleheader.
Megan Ryono and
Raquel Reyes singled to put two on in the second inning of game two. A throwing error extended Columbia's turn at-bat and brought
Jaden Hill to the dish, whose first collegiate home run came in the form of a grand slam to center.
After surrendering 15 unanswered runs between the first and second games, Cornell's offense came to life. The Big Red answered Hill's slam with a three-run homer off the bat of right fielder Hannah Crist in the bottom half. Reyes did well to get through five with the one-run lead intact, working around five walks while striking out a pair.
Cornell tied things up on a sac fly in the sixth and went on to walk it off in the seventh. Marisa Zorrilla drove in the winning run on a two-out single, scoring Julie Hilcken from second to escape with a split.
Columbia and Cornell will play the rubber game of the series Saturday. First pitch from Niemand-Robison Softball Field is scheduled for 12:30 p.m.
For the latest on the Columbia softball program, follow @CULionsSoftball on
Twitter and
Instagram, on Facebook at
Facebook.com/CULionsSoftball. You can view all the latest with the Lions on the web at
GoColumbiaLions.com/Softball.
