Goolsby hits .667 on season-opening trip in Texas

Cornell College's softball team batted .385 and received complete-game wins from three different pitchers in posting a 3-1 record at the Wyndham Las Colinas Classic in Irving, Texas.

The Rams (3-1) began the season-opening trip with a 7-4 victory Friday over University of the Ozarks. Cornell swept a pair of games Saturday, beating Hendrix 4-2 and then stomping University of Dallas 17-0 in five innings. The Rams were dealt a 6-1 loss against unbeaten Nebraska Wesleyan in Sunday's finale.

Senior catcher Carly Goolsby led Cornell's attack with a .667 batting average (10-of-15), five runs, three doubles and three RBIs. Jill Trzaska, who earned the Game 1 win on the mound, hit .545 with a pair of doubles. Freshman Rebekah Ozga had a strong collegiate debut, batting .357 with a team-high six runs and five RBIs.

Trzaska fired seven solid innings against Ozarks, striking out five and yielding three earned runs. She got plenty of support from the top of the lineup, including Goolsby's 4-of-4 effort with two runs and two RBIs.

Ozga had two hits and scored twice from the leadoff spot. Chrissy Rasor drove in a pair of runs while Trzaska helped her own cause with two hits. Senior Nicole Duncan broke open a 5-4 game with a two-run single in the bottom of the sixth.

Leading 3-2 against Hendrix, sophomore Brooke Griffin delivered a key RBI single in the seventh as Cornell held on for the win. The Rams accounted for 12 hits, getting two each from Goolsby, Duncan, Rasor and Sam Tonelli.

Freshman Amanda Engel did not allow an earned run in her first start as a Ram. She struck out six, scattered six hits and worked a perfect seventh inning to notch the win.

Cornell got an impressive outing from fellow freshman pitcher Jackie Sernek in the rout of Dallas. Sernek hurled a one-hit shutout with 13 strikeouts in a five-inning game stopped early due to the mercy rule. She faced four batters over the minimum.

The Rams made quick work against Dallas, exploding for 10 runs in the fourth and four more in the fifth. Seven of the team's 16 hits went for extra bases. Ozga went 2-for-3 with four runs and two RBIs. Goolsby went 3-for-3 with a pair of runs. Laura Scott, Abby Haubold and Trzaska each collected two hits and two RBIs.

Cornell couldn't overcome an early deficit against Nebraska Wesleyan (5-0), which led 5-0 after two innings. Ozga plated the team's lone run on a fielder's choice in the seventh. Trzaska had two of Cornell's six hits. Sernek allowed one run in 5.1 innings of relief while striking out six.

Coming up – The Rams have a lengthy layoff before returning to action March 19 with a home-opening doubleheader against Grinnell. Cornell hosts Monmouth in a twin bill March 20.