Rams take down Monmouth, improve to 22-8

Freshmen pitchers Jackie Sernek and Laura Iversen surrendered just one earned run collectively over 12 innings Thursday, leading Cornell to a 4-2, 12-0 nonconference sweep over Monmouth at Mount Vernon Softball Complex.

The Rams (22-8 overall) recorded their seventh sweep of the season and improved to 14-2 at home, 17-3 in nonconference contests.

Cornell carries momentum into a key Iowa Conference doubleheader Saturday at Simpson. The Rams stand fifth in the IIAC race with a 5-5 mark, only percentage points behind the Storm (21-13, 7-5 IIAC) in fourth.

In the opener, Sernek (7-1) reeled off her sixth consecutive win on the mound and senior slugger Nicole Duncan recorded her 100th career RBI. Duncan reached the milestone with a run-scoring double to center field in the top of the first that put the Rams ahead 1-0.

Cornell extended the lead to 4-0 in the second, getting a two-run single from Rebekah Ozga and an RBI hit from Carly Goolsby. That was enough support for Sernek, who yielded six hits and a pair of runs while striking out three in a complete-game effort.

Ozga and Chrissy Rasor both collected two hits for the Rams. Rasor and Wright each had a stolen base.

Iversen (3-1) made quick work of Monmouth in the second game. The rookie right-hander allowed just two singles and faced two batters over the minimum in a five-inning shutout. Iversen struck out two and did not issue a walk.

Cornell jumped on the Fighting Scots (14-11) early, plating five runs on six hits in the first frame. Rachel Aubry delivered a two-run double and the Rams also got RBIs from Jill Trzaska, Simone Wright and Laurel Wilhelm.

The Rams put the game away with a seven-run fourth inning, capitalizing on five walks and sending 12 batters to the plate. Sam Tonelli highlighted the rally with a two-run single off the center-field fence.

Duncan and Wilhelm both went 2-for-3 in leading Cornell's 10-hit attack. Wilhelm, Wright, Tonelli and Aubry drove in two runs apiece.