MELBOURNE, Fla. – Cornell's searing start to the softball season carried into Monday as the Rams won a 2-0 pitchers' duel over Franciscan followed by a 10-2 five-inning rout of Wisconsin Lutheran.  
 
Coach Robin Brand's undefeated Rams improved to 6-0 with two games remaining on their Florida trip.
 
Pitchers Daelynn Rhoades and Lauren Summers combined on a two-hit shutout against Franciscan. Rhoades (2-0) earned the victory, yielding a mere single while striking out three over four innings.
 
Summers was tough in relief, fanning four over the final three innings to notch her first save as a Ram.
 
Summers helped her cause at the plate, tripling home pinch runner Ella Cooper for Cornell's initial run in the top of the fourth. Brianna Risley, the next batter, added an insurance solo homer that completed the scoring.
 
Summers accounted for two of Cornell's five hits. Elise Oleson doubled.
 
In Game 2, Oleson doubled, homered and drove in two runs to pace Cornell's 13-hit attack. Peyton Souhrada and Alexa Corona both had two hits and two RBIs. Linnea Drever went 2-for-3 with a pair of runs.
 
Corona's two-run single put the Rams ahead to stay in the bottom of the second, 3-2.
 
All nine batters in Cornell's lineup recorded a hit. Summers and Drever each had a double.
 
Reigning Midwest Conference Pitcher of the Week Lexi Ellermeier improved to 3-0 in the circle, lowering her season earned run average to 0.43. The junior allowed five hits and no earned runs over four innings. Summers came on to work a scoreless fifth.
 
Coming up – The Rams conclude their spring break trip Tuesday with single games against Lakeland at 9 a.m. (Central Time) and Fitchburg State at 11:15 a.m.