On today’s edition of Throwback Thursday, we recognize two major milestones for the Cornell softball team that occurred almost exactly two years apart. On March 10, 2006, Whitney Smith threw a perfect game, while Jenn Meunier and Elizabeth Dairymple threw a combined no hitter on March 9, 2008. Oddly enough, both games were played against Norfolk State, and this historic case of déjà vu has been celebrated by Cornell softball fans ever since.
The first occasion ten years ago saw pitcher Whitney Smith dominate her way through the Spartan lineup en route to an 8-0 victory. In the process, she struck out eight NSU batters in five innings of work. With this incredible performance, Smith became the first player in Cornell history to earn two different no-hitters in her career. On top of this terrific effort that defined the day, the Big Red bats came alive for eight runs on 10 hits in what turned out to be a lopsided team win.
Almost exactly two years later, a pair of Cornell pitchers turned in another no-hitter, also against Norfolk State. Once again, the Spartans were on the wrong side of history, as Jenn Meunier pitched four and one-third innings, while Elizabeth Dairymple pitched two-thirds of the final inning to close out the no-hit masterpiece. This game also featured a wealth of offense from the Big Red, as teammates Alyson Inithar and Vanessa Leonhard both homered in Cornell’s 9-0 win. In fact, in that 2008 season, the Big Red led the nation in team batting average (.351) and earned two no-hitters for just the third time in program history.
Propelled by quality pitching performances such as these, Cornell finished second in the Ivy League in both seasons and have forever marked this a significant week in Big Red softball history.
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