[Softball] NCAA Regional: Cornell vs. Alabama LIVE on ESPN 3 p.m. ET Friday

[KenP]

Alabama's cleanup batter hit a 2-run homer with 2 out in the top of the 1st.
:-/

[Tom Pasniewski 98]

The cleanup batter is also the Alabama pitcher.  2-0 going to bottom of the 1st.

[Al DeFlorio]

[Q]Tom Pasniewski 98 Wrote:

 The cleanup batter is also the Alabama pitcher.  2-0 going to bottom of the 1st.[/q]
And the bottom of the first shows she can pitch as well as hit.  ::worry::

[Tom Pasniewski 98]

A solo HR in the top of the 2nd.  Even a plug by ESPN for the lax game on Sunday.

[Tom Pasniewski 98]

Cornell surrenders their third home run of the game in the bottom of the third after having the bases loaded with one out in the top of the third and failing to score.

[ugarte]

The new Cornell pitcher has an ERA of over 4.  This doesn't sound good.  Alabama's pitcher has control issues but the Red bats aren't fast enough to catch up to her (she is throwing the equivalent of a 95 mph fastball).

Still a lot of fun to watch the Red on TV.

Can someone explain why "Funkytown" is the music ESPN is using to send the game to commercial?

[Tom Pasniewski 98]

Alabama ties the NCAA regional record with their 4th HR of the game.  Mercy rule is if you're down 8 or more after 5, game ends.

[Tom Pasniewski 98]

Four more runs in the fourth.  Cornell making every fielding mistake imaginable including runners advancing on fielders not paying attention - cost them at least two runs in that inning.  Mercy rule in effect.  Cornell must score at least two runs in the bottom of the 5th.

[Tom Pasniewski 98]

Cornell falls to the Loser's Bracket and will play Mississippi Valley State tonight at 10:30 p.m. ET.  The game is not televised but live stats should be available.

[Al DeFlorio]

Anyone looking for a happier ending than today's softball game can watch the men's and women's Outdoor Heps Saturday from 1:30 to 2:30 pm EDT on CSTV.B-]

[Tom Pasniewski 98]

Three different sports on tv in three different days - could we space it out a little bit?  ::nut::

[Tom Pasniewski 98]

Bottom of the 2nd, MVSU 2, Cornell 0.  Cornell had the bases loaded with one out in the top of the 2nd but lined into a double play.

[Greg Berge]

In 6th, Miss Valley 5 Cornell 0.  SS Lauren May has 2 of Cornell's 4 hits.

[Greg Berge]

Melissa Heintz hits a three run homerun in the seventh but Cornell loses 6-3.

[Tom Pasniewski 98]

Ironic that their best offensive inning was their last inning of the tournament.  A great season, a memorable upset, a five-day trip to Hollywood, an appearance on national television and for the seniors, back in time to enjoy the time leading up to their graduation.  Despite the score, the announcers had a ton of great things to say about Cornell, their season and their upset win during the broadcast, whether it was fed to them or ESPN did some research.  They must have mentioned the rigorous academics of Cornell at least five times, found a family with split loyalties to both Alabama and Cornell and the best line - the Athletics department is shut down in Ithaca as AD Andy Noel has given everybody the afternoon off and the entire staff is down at ? (an establishment that I didn't recognize the name of) watching the game.  Cornell returns the Ivy League POTY, Lauren May, a junior, for next season.  I'd say that Cornell's move to build a good softball facility in Niemand-Robison Field has paid off with three trips to the NCAA tournament since it opened around '97 or so.  Cornell will always be disadvantaged by the fact that it can not start playing or practicing outdoors as early as the southern and western schools who start play three weeks or more before Cornell and by the fact that Cornell's main non-Ivy competition has to come from a small geographic area when it travels for Spring Break or other tournaments where a large number of teams gather for many games in a few days.

Long Beach State defeated Louisville in the Loser's Bracket so the next best thing would be for them to keep winning.