Trzaska throws no-hitter at Buccaneers

Cornell senior Jill Trzaska twirled the program's first no-hitter in 13 years and the Rams racked up 20 hits in the nightcap for a 1-0, 17-2 nonconference softball sweep over Beloit Thursday at Mount Vernon Softball Complex.

The Rams (16-10 overall, 3-3 Iowa Conference) continue their six-game home stand Saturday in a 2 p.m. doubleheader against league foe Simpson (23-9, 6-2 IIAC). Simpson sits one game out of the conference lead.

Trzaska (7-4) was near perfect in Thursday's opener, allowing just two base runners over seven innings for her first shutout of the season. The right-hander struck out eight and issued a pair of walks. Beloit had only three balls leave the infield.

Trzaska made history in becoming the first Ram to pitch a no-hitter since Juanita Richeson blanked Marycrest International University, 2-0, on March 20, 1999 in Indianola. Richeson achieved the feat in a five-inning contest.

Cornell pitchers had come close to attaining the no-hitter in recent years. The Rams had recorded 13 one-hitters over the last dozen seasons, including three in 2011.

Trzaska allowed her first base runner on a leadoff walk in the third inning. A stolen base and sacrifice bunt moved the runner to third base before Trzaska induced an inning-ending lineout. Trzaska gave up a two-out walk in the sixth, and then retired the final four batters of the game.

Sophomore Rebekah Ozga scored the decisive run in the bottom of the fifth. She had a two-out single, stole second and then came around on a Brittani Yost single to left.

Kari Martin led Cornell's five-hit attack, going 2-for-3 with a double.

Yost and Martin both went 4-for-4 with two RBIs in the five-inning rout in Game 2. The Rams jumped ahead 4-1 in the first and broke it open with 10 runs on nine hits in the second.

In Cornell's second frame, Ozga jacked a two-run homer to left and Trzaska launched a three-run shot to left center. Ozga later added an RBI double in the inning.

Ozga finished 3-for-3 with three RBIs and three runs scored. Trzaska collected two hits, three RBIs and three runs. Chrissy Rasor had a pair of hits, while Martin and Jackie Sernek each scored twice. The Rams stole seven bases, including two by Yost.

Sophomore Amanda Engel (6-3) earned the win in the circle, yielding two singles and one earned run over five innings. Beloit (5-19) tallied its first hit of the doubleheader on an infield single with one out in the fifth.

Hot hitter - Martin has caught fire at the plate during Cornell's home stand this week. In the last four games, the freshman slugger is hitting .818 (9-of-11) with three doubles and a hefty 1.091 slugging percentage. Martin entered the week batting .353, and now boasts a team-high .467 average and five-game hitting streak.