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ITHACA, N.Y. — The Cornell softball team (4-19, 2-7 Ivy) returns to Niemand-Robison Field this weekend when it hosts Brown (10-17, 5-5 Ivy) for a three-game series. The Big Red and the Bears have a doubleheader on Saturday, April 12, starting at 12:30 p.m. Sunday’s series finale also begins at 12:30 p.m. All three games will be streamed live on ESPN+. 

Holt Already Climbing The Cornell Record Book

• Not even two full seasons into her Cornell career, sophomore power hitter Lauren Holt is climbing the program’s record book. 

• Holt, after homering twice against Yale over the weekend, moved into a tie for 14th in Cornell history in career home runs (17). Erin Belles hit 17 home runs from 2010-13. 

• With four more home runs this season, Holt would move into ninth place in program history. Lauren May (2002-05) holds the program record with 58 home runs; Kate Varde (2001-04) and Elise Menaker (2007-10) hit 37 in their careers, good for second place. Jessy Berkey (31 from 2006-09) and Jenny Edwards (26 from 2011-14) are third and fourth on the list, respectively. 

• Holt, who’s driven in 62 runs in her career, needs 19 more RBI to enter the top 20 in Cornell history in that category. May holds the Big Red record with 190 RBI. 

More On Holt…

• Holt currently leads the Ivy League in RBI (34) and home runs (8). 

• She has 11 more RBI than Yale’s Sophie Woodridge, who has 23 in second place. 

• Holt ranks second nationally in RBI per game (1.48). 

• Holt has driven in at least one run in five straight games going back to Cornell’s 6-2 win over Columbia on March 30. She drove in seven runs over three games against Yale. 

• Holt has driven in multiple runs in 10 games this season. 

• Holt’s six RBI against Middle Tennessee are the most by an Ivy League player in a game this season. 

• Holt accounts for 38% of Cornell’s RBI this season. 

• Holt has hit a home run in three of Cornell’s last four games. 

• Holt won Ivy League Player of the Week for the first time in her collegiate career after driving in runs in bunches at the Spring Games in Madeira Beach, Florida. Over five games, she had two doubles, three homers, nine total hits in 17 at-bats and 14 of Cornell’s 32 RBI.

• The 2023 second-team All-Ivy performer led the Ivy League with nine homers and finished tied for third in RBI (28) as a freshman last season. 

• Only six other players in Cornell history have led the Big Red in RBI and homers as freshmen. That list includes Stephanie Riggins (4 HR, 17 RBI in 1995), Allison Batten (8 HR, 44 RBI in 1998), Lauren May (16 HR, 52 RBI in 2002), Meg Risica (8 HR, 30 RBI in 2006), Alyson Inhitar (11 HR and 41 RBI in 2007) and Bridgette Rooney (10 HR, 30 RBI in 2017). 

Harrod Enjoying Breakout Sophomore Season 

• Sophomore shortstop Ella Harrod has had at least two hits in five straight games. 

• Harrod is batting .611 (11-18) with three RBI in that span. 

• Harrod is one of the toughest hitters to strike out in the nation. Remarkably, she has struck out just once this season (against Siena on Feb. 24). 

• Harrod has five successful sacrifice bunts this season, tied for the most in the Ivy League with Harvard’s Savannah Fitzpatrick. 

• Harrod’s batting average this season is 139 points higher this season (.348) than last season (.209). She’s tied with fellow sophomore Sydney Stapf for the team lead in doubles (6). 

• Harrod hit her first career home run at Penn on March 22. 

• Harrod has 63 defensive assists, good for second in the league. She has helped turn six double plays. 

Other Big Red Team and Individual Notes

• Cornell is third in the Ivy League in home runs (16), team slugging percentage (.416) and on-base percentage (.369). 

• Cornell has recorded 10 double plays this season, three shy of the Ivy League lead (Penn has 13). 

• Junior infielder Emma Antich ranks fifth in the Ivy League in slugging (.606) and sixth in on-base percentage (.464). She’s third in walks (15) and eighth in homers (4). 

• Antich is second on the team in RBI (13). 

Series History vs. Brown 

• Cornell owns a 38-25 lead in the series, which began in 1994. 

• Brown has won four games in a row against Cornell. 

• Cornell is 4-6 in the last 10 meetings. 

• Cornell’s longest winning streak in the series is eight games (2011-15). 

Scouting Brown

• Brown has the second-best team ERA in the Ivy League (3.50). 

• Brown’s pitching staff has 115 strikeouts this season, tied with Harvard for the league lead. 

• Brown pitcher Alexis Guevara has been one of the best pitchers in the Ivy this season. She has the third-lowest ERA in the league (2.59) and the third-most strikeouts (63). 

• Macy Borowski has a 4.22 ERA (10th in Ivy) and 40 strikeouts (6th in Ivy).