The Cornell Rams took their first win Sunday, March 6, against Vassar, 7-1.
Junior right-hander Kole Hinrichsen was dominant in five shutout innings on the mound.
Hinrichsen struck out eight and surrendered just one hit for the Rams (1-3), who pulled away from Vassar (0-1) with six unanswered runs in the late innings.
Junior Preston Wright earned his first collegiate pitching win, working three innings in relief. He allowed one run and fanned four. Aiden Rosenthal pitched a perfect ninth inning to secure the victory.
Outfielder Darren Mancke led Cornell’s nine-hit attack, going 3-for-4 with three runs and an RBI from the No. 8 slot in the lineup. With the game tied 1-1, Mancke singled home Sam Williamson for the go-ahead run in Cornell’s three-run sixth inning.
Colin Konicek tagged a two-run double in the sixth that put the Rams ahead 4-1.
Tony Neuman delivered an RBI double in the seventh. Cornell tacked on two more runs in the eighth, with Mancke and Konicek both coming around to score.
Drew Logel went 2-for-4 with a double. James Kent tripled and scored a run.
Earlier in the week, the men took a 2-1 loss to Concordia Chicago Saturday, March 5.
The Rams (0-3) scratched for their lone run in the top of the eighth inning on a single by freshman outfielder Seth Beals, scoring Konicek and tying the game at 1-1.
Concordia (2-2) answered with a one-out, solo home run in the bottom of the eighth that proved to be the game-winner.
Junior right-hander Jake Schope gave the Rams a strong start on the mound, firing five scoreless innings. He struck out six batters and walked only one.
Cornell’s Will Miller pitched two innings in relief, allowed one unearned run. Freshman Kale Rose came on to work the ninth, striking out two.
The Rams had three hits in the game, including a double by Sam Williamson. Beals and Alec Boldt each singled.
The Rams also took an 8-0 loss to the University of Iowa Wednesday, March 2.
Cornell’s baseball team gave up five runs early and then settled in against the Big Ten’s Iowa Hawkeyes in an 8-0 exhibition loss Wednesday at Duane Banks Field.
The NCAA Division I Hawkeyes (5-3) built a 5-0 lead on six hits through two innings. They managed only three runs and four hits over the final six frames against five Cornell pitchers.
Cornell’s Schope, Kriegel and Wright each tossed one scoreless inning in relief. Wright bailed the Rams out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth.
The Rams (0-3) were limited to two hits in the game, singles by Konicek and Beals. Iowa’s pitching staff recorded 19 strikeouts.
Cornell stranded seven runners on base, Iowa eight.