Courtesy of Yale Athletics/Brad Ahern

The Yale softball team took a series over Cornell last weekend after honoring its seniors, Miranda Papes ’22 and captain Kortney Ponce ’22. With the series win, Yale moved into a fourth place tie in the Ivy League and will hope to finish the season strong against Penn this weekend.

The Bulldogs (10–21, 8–10 Ivy) came into the contest looking to bounce back after a tough series against the Ivy’s top team Princeton. Cornell (12–17, 4–8) has struggled in conference play all year, failing to win a series so far. But the story of the weekend was Saturday’s senior day celebration.

“I think I speak for many of us when I say that our captain has exceeded our every expectation,” infielder Carmen Muscolina ’24 said at the start of the year. “We are so fortunate to get to be on this team with her and to get to experience the epitome of a good teammate. Despite her injuries and the universe’s attempt to throw obstacles her way, she shows up with the biggest smile and it’s contagious. Her journey, her optimism and her support inspire me to take advantage of every opportunity I am given when playing our sport.”

Yale entered the year with only three upperclassmen: Papes, Ponce and pitcher Nicole Conway ’23. Those three were the only players with any Ivy League softball experience. Ponce has been sidelined for the season, recovering from a torn ACL. In the first inning of Saturday’s game, though, the team made sure she still got honored in an incredible display. Ponce took the field at shortstop for one pitch and left after that to thunderous applause from the crowd at DeWitt Family Stadium.

“I have truly learned great things from each and every one of my teammates and coaches, but my captain, Kortney Ponce, has had an exceptional impact on me,” outfielder Katie Donahey ’25 said. “Her tenacity and positivity throughout [her recovery] has been so inspiring; I have nothing but respect for her. She has shown me that the most important role someone can play on a team isn’t necessarily through physical contribution. While she is a remarkably talented player, her role on this team exceeds any physical contributions a teammate could provide.”

Muscolina, Donahey and catcher Sam Goodcase ’24 all mentioned Ponce as a key player from whom they had learned most from in the season’s early going. 

“This year has been such an amazing experience and I am grateful my teammates had the faith and trust in me to lead this team as captain — it is such an honor within itself and I am just so grateful for that,” Ponce said.

Both Ponce and Papes had special moments this past weekend. For the latter, the team’s final home series of the year marked her best offensive performance of the season. Papes earned Ivy League Player of the Week honors after batting over 0.500, hitting two home runs and recording four RBIs.

“This is definitely a bittersweet moment for me,” Papes said. “I have had so many amazing memories and made some of my best friends through the sport of softball so having that come to an end is very hard, but I am so grateful for everything the sport has brought me.”

Despite the attention placed on the team’s seniors, first year pitcher Maddie Latta ’25 was the star of the series’ first contest. Latta pitched a complete game and only allowed two hits. She recorded as many strikeouts — four — as base runners allowed and held Cornell to multiple players on base only once all game.

At the plate, left fielder Lauren Perren ’25 tripled in the second inning to score Yale’s first run. Two innings later, Papes doubled, driving in a second. The Elis ultimately won the contest 2–0 and recorded seven hits with Perren leading the way with two.

Game two featured more offensive firepower with 16 combined hits between the two teams. Cornell jumped out to an early lead, scoring three runs in the first three innings. In the fourth, the Big Red added three more to open up an overwhelming 6–0 lead. Yale fought back in a huge way, rallying the offense in the fifth inning. After Latta scored on a wild pitch, Papes kept the scoring going with an RBI single. The Elis added another in the inning after a Cornell error and followed that up with an RBI double from shortstop Carolyn Skotz ’24 to cut the lead to 6–4. Two innings later, in the bottom of the seventh, Papes homered to cut the lead down to a single run, but Cornell pitcher Gabrielle Maday shut the door and the Bulldogs fell by one. Hannah Turner ’25 pitched three innings as a relief pitcher and only conceded one hit to give the team a shot at the late comeback. 

The series’ rubber match ended in a fitting, dramatic fashion. Five pitchers appeared, the two teams combined for 27 hits and 19 runs and the game went 10 innings. In the first four innings, Yale found itself in a huge hole. The Bulldogs’ only run came when Skotz stole home in the third inning. Entering the top of the fifth, Yale trailed 5–1. The bleeding would continue in the top of the fifth as Cornell added three runs to open up an 8–1 lead.

Papes showed her leadership and steadied the ship, homering to lead off the bottom of the fifth. Latta singled later in the inning to score two runs and Perren added an RBI to cut the lead even further. Suddenly, a once seven run deficit had been cut to two. Cornell added a run in the sixth to extend the lead to 9–6.

In the bottom of the seventh, Goodcase got the offense started with a single. Latta recorded the first out of the inning after flying out to right. With one out and one on, first baseman Willa Ferrer ’24 singled to bring the tying run to the plate. Perren popped out to push Yale to its final out. Muscolina stepped to the plate to try and extend the game. She delivered in a big way, singling to score a run and cut the deficit to two runs. Papes then stepped to the plate and worked a walk to load the bases for outfielder Sophie Woodridge ’25.

On the first pitch she saw, Woodridge launched a ball into right field scoring the tying two runs. Papes got thrown out at third to end the inning, but the damage was done, and Yale had sent the game to extra innings.

The two teams only managed to muster a single base runner in the eighth and ninth innings combined. In the top of the tenth, Latta worked out of a jam to keep the game tied at nine. In the bottom of the tenth, Papes again got the offense going with a single. Woodridge delivered a sacrifice bunt to advance the runner to second. Skotz delivered again with a runner in scoring position, doubling to walk off the game. Yale won 10–9 in ten innings in one of the most dramatic games in recent history.

“I think my time as an Ivy league athlete has really shown me that anything can happen at any given moment,” Ponce said. “No team is destined to win or lose- it really all depends on who shows up to the field that day ready to win. Playing in a three-game series, it is hard to win all three and sweep. So, you really have to show up ready to play and ready to compete at all times. No pitch, play, or at bat can be taken for granted because it’s anyone’s ballgame until the end of the seventh inning.”

Yale’s final series of the year will be against Penn.