The Panthers softball team fell behind early in both games against the nation's #4-ranked team and couldn't recover, losing 16-1 and 11-3 at Corning Community College on Thursday.  Tompkins Cortland is now 0-8 overall and 0-4 in the Mid-State Athletic Conference; Corning is 15-11 overall and 5-1 in the MSAC.

Game One: Corning 16, Tompkins Cortland 1  (five innings)

The Panthers got on the board first, with Andrea Medovich (Kirkwood/Windsor H.S.) opening the game by drawing a walk and eventually coming around to score on a single by Kiara Grover (Scio/Scio H.S.). The lead was erased quickly in the bottom of the inning as Corning erupted for 11 runs to take control. The Red Barons tacked on runs in the second and third before the game was stopped due to the run-rule in the fifth inning.

Game Two: Corning 11, Tompkins Cortland 3 (five innings)

Medovich again kick-started the Panthers offense in game two. After Corning scored seven runs to start the game, Medovich led off the bottom of the first inning with a home run, her second of the season and the second time she has homered in the Panthers' first at bat of a game. Later in the inning Austyn Vance (Nichols/Tioga H.S.) connected for a long ball, her first of the season, driving in two more runs and nearly cutting the Corning lead in half. The score held at 7-3 over the next two scoreless innings, but Corning added runs in the fourth and fifth to end the second game early as well.

Looking ahead

The Panthers host SUNY Broome Friday at Gutchess Lumber Sports Complex in Cortlandville. The doubleheader starts at 4 p.m.