ITHACA, N.Y. - The Cornell softball team defeated Brown 8-6 on Monday afternoon at Niemand-Robison Field to close out the 2026 season. The Big Red finished the season with a 21-22 record, and an 8-13 record in Ivy League play.
Lauren Holt led Cornell offensively, going 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs, with her sixth-inning blast marking her 19th home run of the season to set the Ivy League single-season record. She was supported by
Emma Harshberger, who went 2-for-3 with a triple and three RBIs, helping power Cornell's 12-hit, eight-run output.
Mila Fiordalisi earned the win with a 6.1-inning outing, allowing six runs on nine hits while working through traffic and keeping Cornell in front. Harshberger closed the game with two-thirds of an inning in relief, allowing no runs and helping secure the final outs. The staff combined to limit damage just enough late to preserve the 8-6 victory.
Game Recap
Cornell used a big middle innings surge to defeat Brown, 8-6, on Sunday afternoon. The Big Red struck first in the second inning when
Charlize Cai singled to bring home a run and give Cornell a 1-0 lead. Brown answered in the fourth inning with a two-run home run from Villarde to take a 2-1 advantage, but Cornell responded immediately in the bottom half.
The Big Red put together a five-run fourth inning to take control of the game. Cai tied the score at 2-2 with an RBI fielder's choice before
Tarisa Frans added an RBI single to give Cornell a 3-2 lead. Harshberger broke the game open with a three-RBI triple, extending the advantage to 6-2.
Brown trimmed the deficit in the sixth inning with a two-run single to make it 6-4, but Cornell answered again in the bottom half. Holt launched a historic two-run home run to push the lead to 8-4. The Bears added a two-run home run in the seventh inning to cut the score to 8-6, but Cornell held on late to secure the win.
