Box Score

KISSIMMEE, Fla. - Army right-hander Shawna Bleyl held off Cornell in the final inning to post an impressive complete-game 2-1 victory over the defending Ivy League champions in the first of the Black Knights' two games being played their final day of competition at the Rebel Spring Games.

Holding a 2-0 leading heading into the top of the seventh inning, Bleyl was touched for two of her four hits to start off that frame. After giving up a double and single, a fielder's choice RBI delivered the first run. With the tying run at first and the go-ahead at the plate, the Army sophomore recorded her fifth strikeout of the game retiring pinch hitter Erin Belles. Left fielder Jennae Tomlinson chased Alyson Intihar's foul ball into the fence for the final out to preserve the win along with snapping the Big Red's seven-game unbeaten string.

The Black Knights (7-6) threatened with two outs and runners in scoring position in the first two innings, but Ali Tomlinson got out safely both times on groundouts. She retired the side in the third inning before Army touched her in the fourth inning capitalizing on a pair of hits and a walk to score the first run of the game.

With one out in the bottom of the fourth, Alexis AuBuchon laced a single to the gap in right field, then gave way to pinch runner Jen Parsons, who advanced to second on a walk to Alex Reynolds. Designated player Angela Deger's single to left center field delivered Parsons for the first run.

Reynolds and Deger both moved up a base on a wild pitch, but Army was unable to push across a pair of insurance runs as Tomlinson retired the side on a strikeout and groundout. The Black Knights touched her for a run in their next-at bat rallying after two outs in the bottom of the fifth. Tomlinson yielded her second walk of the game to Rachael Duval followed by Erin McClain's RBI double for what proved to be the deciding run as the Black Knights led 2-0. The Cornell hurler retired the next four batters she faced, the last with her eighth strikeout of the game in being touched for the loss.

Bleyl, who recorded a season-high five strikeouts, worked her way of out early jams in the first two innings. With two outs in the first inning, she yielded a double and walk, but stranded the runner on a groundout. With two outs in the second inning, a single and error allowed the runner into scoring position, but she got out on a groundout en route to retiring nine straight batters before an infield error allowed a runner on base with two outs in the fifth. The sophomore hurler retired four straight batters before losing out on the shutout in the seventh.

The Black Knights' win over the Big Red is their first since posting a 3-2 decision in 2002. Army's win that year snapped a seven-game series losing streak to Cornell. The Big Red won the last two meetings in 2003 and 2008 before the Black Knights claimed their sixth win in 15 series games that began in 1994.

"Today's win is a great way to end a successful trip," said Army first-year coach Michelle DePolo. "Cornell is a very formidable opponent who doesn't give you anything. I have a great deal of respect for Coach Blood and his program.   We hope to carry this momentum with us back home."

Army takes on Fairleigh Dickinson in closing out its eight-game slate at the Rebel Spring Games.