The Colonials ended their doubleheader Tuesday against Cornell with a win and a tie, battling back from an initial four-run deficit to earn a win in game one before the second had to be called due to darkness.
In the first game, Cornell took a quick 4-0 lead over GW (10-9-1) in the first inning, but the Colonials turned it around in the third, when freshman outfielder Chelsea Lenhart and senior third baseman Katie Terrazas opened the frame with a pair of hits. Sophomore outfielder Autumn Taylor drove in Lenhart, and then scored herself off junior catcher Lauren Wilson’s RBI. GW left the inning tied with Cornell, and took the lead in the sixth, driving in three more runs for an eventual 7-6 victory.
“I wanted to change the mentality of the program. Last year’s season ended with a 6-39 record so the team was used to losing,” head coach Stacey Schramm said. “I wanted to change this and have them learn to win and overcome adversity to fight back, which is a huge difference from last year.”
The second game turned into a defensive duel before the Colonials broke the stalemate with a series of plays in the fifth that drove sophomore infielder Julie Orlandi home. Cornell responded with a run of its own in the top of the seventh to tie the game. After GW was unable to score in the bottom of the seventh, the game was called due to darkness, resulting in the second tie in GW softball history.
Junior Heidi Penna pitched for the Colonials throughout both games, throwing 14 innings. She allowed 11 hits and seven runs, striking out eight on the way to her second victory of the season.
Although her team walked away without a solid victory, Schramm still found positives in its play.
“Our strategy coming into the second game did not work out at first because Cornell’s pitcher was throwing a rise ball,” Schramm said. “By the third inning we adjusted and the second round through the rotation our strategy was working.”
The Colonials lost on the road Wednesday to Coppin State. GW (10-10-1) next travels to Dayton Saturday, March 26, at 12 p.m.
Elizabeth Traynor contributed to this report.
