Ozga, Engel key 9-0 victory over Simpson

Freshman shortstop Rebekah Ozga slugged three home runs, including a pair of two-run shots in a 9-0 Game 2 victory over Simpson as the Rams salvaged an Iowa Conference softball split Saturday afternoon at Simpson Softball Complex.

Cornell (23-9 overall), which dropped the opener 10-5, moved closer to securing a berth in the six-team IIAC Tournament May 5-7. The Rams are fifth in the IIAC standings at 6-6 with four league games remaining. Simpson stands fourth at 8-6, Loras sixth (5-7) and Dubuque seventh (4-8).

Ozga capped a whale of a week at the plate in Saturday's second game, going 4-for-5 with five RBIs, three runs scored and two home runs. The Rams leadoff hitter totaled five hits, seven RBIs and five runs in the doubleheader.

Freshman Amanda Engel (5-3) hurled a complete-game three-hit shutout in Game 2 against a Storm squad that entered the weekend batting over .350. She surrendered just three singles while striking out four and walking one. Engel faced just three batters over the minimum in seven innings.

Ozga belted a two-run homer in the second inning that put the Rams ahead 3-0. She connected on another two-run blast in the sixth that made the score 6-0. Cornell tacked on three more runs in the seventh, highlighted by a two-run pinch-hit single from Kim Griseto.

Carly Goolsby and Jill Trzaska collected two hits apiece. Trzaska and Chrissy Rasor each had an RBI.

The Rams hurt themselves defensively in Game 1. Cornell outhit the Storm 11-8, but committed a pair of errors that led to five unearned runs. The Rams trailed 5-4 in the third, when Simpson (22-14) struck for three unearned runs to take control.

Cornell built a 4-1 lead in the top of the second, getting a solo homer from Sam Tonelli and then a two-run homer from Ozga. Tonelli, Goolsby and Duncan finished with two hits apiece.

Trzaska (8-4) took the loss on the mound, allowing four hits and three earned runs in 1.2 innings.

100-hit club - Senior outfielder Simone Wright became the eighth member of Cornell's 100-hit club with a fifth-inning single in Game 1 Saturday. She added career hit No. 101 in Game 2.

Wright has a chance to move up the program's career list by season's end. Jessica Mauser stands seventh with 103 hits. Dana Speckner and Sara Blaser are tied for fifth with 105 hits, and Lindsey Stoll is fourth with 109. Duncan is the program's all-time hits leader with 192.

Records alert - Ozga is fast approaching a pair of single-season school records. She leads the team with 36 runs, one off the record set by Duncan in 2009. Ozga also has a team-best 27 RBIs, only three shy of Duncan's record total in 2009.

Wright is closing in on her own school mark for most walks in a season of 24, set in 2010. She leads the IIAC with 23 walks this spring.

Coming up - The Rams host third-ranked and IIAC co-leader Central (29-5, 10-2 IIAC) at 4 p.m. Wednesday, April 27, on Senior Day at Mount Vernon Softball Complex. It marks the last home doubleheader for Cornell seniors Wright, Duncan, Goolsby, Laurel Wilhelm and Kim Traylor. The class has been part of 78 wins, the most over a four-year span in school history.

Cornell concludes the regular season against Buena Vista (10-22, 1-11 IIAC) Saturday, April 30, in Storm Lake.