Cornell’s baseball team played its way back into the Midwest Conference Tournament hunt this weekend, taking two of three games from title-contending Chicago at Ash Park Field.
The Rams clinched the series win with an 11-7 Game 1 triumph Sunday. Chicago won Sunday’s second game, 21-2 in seven innings
James Kent powered Cornell’s 13-hit attack in the opener, going 2-for-5 with two extra-base hits, four runs and six RBIs. The junior shortstop got the Rams rolling in the second inning, blasting a two-out grand slam over the right-field wall to put Cornell ahead 6-0. It was Kent’s fourth home run of the season.
After Chicago charged back to tie it at 7-7, the Rams answered with two runs in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI grounder by Kent and an RBI double from Drew Logel.
Cornell reliever Chad Dzierba retired the Maroons in order in the seventh and eighth innings, striking out two. Carter Kriegel worked a scoreless ninth. Freshman Vince Zipperer (1-0) collected his first collegiate pitching win in relief.
Logel went 2-for-5 with two RBIs. Kale Rose, Josiah Shaw and Darren Mancke added two hits apiece.
The Maroons ran away with Game 2 in which they outhit Cornell, 22-6. Chicago had six extra-base hits, including a pair of homers.
Easton Jensen put Cornell on the scoreboard with a solo homer to straight-away center in the bottom of the sixth. It was the first collegiate homer for the senior outfielder.
Jacob Henderson also had an RBI hit in the sixth.
Earlier in the series, Cornell took a 3-2 10 inning win over Chicago.
It was the fourth home win this season in which the Rams came back from a deficit in the seventh inning or later.
Winning pitcher Preston Wright (4-2) got the job done in tough situations late, allowing one hit over two scoreless innings. The Maroons had a runner at third with one out in the ninth. Wright struck out the final batter in the 10th with the bases loaded.
Mancke, who went 4-for-5 at the plate, started Cornell’s two-out rally in the 10th with an infield single. He advanced to third on a hit into right center by Evan Waring.
Earlier in the week, Cornell dropped two games to Monmouth, falling 8-2 and 10-4 at Glasgow Field.
The Rams were held to five hits in the opening game, which they trailed 5-0 through three innings.
Cornell cut the margin to 5-2 in the top of the seventh on an RBI groundout by Mancke and a run-scoring single from pinch hitter Zahn.
Freshman Cai Brevig (1-2) pitched seven solid innings for the Rams, yielding five runs – only two earned – and striking out six. The Rams committed three errors.
In Game 2, Kent went 3-for-5 with a pair of runs. First baseman Logel doubled and singled for his team-high 10th multi-hit game of the season.
Henderson added two hits and Mancke collected two RBIs for the Rams, who used 24 players in the game.
Junior right-hander Preston Wright (3-2) was charged with the loss, despite not allowing an earned run over three innings. He left with the Rams down 2-0.
Cornell stranded 12 runners in the nightcap, including the bases loaded in the second and fourth innings.