Cornell’s baseball team played its third extra-inning game in two days, this time falling on the short end of Sunday’s 16-12 battle in 10 innings with Luther at Bettis Family Sports Complex.
The Rams closed the season-opening trip with a 2-2 mark. They earned wins Saturday over UW-Platteville and Luther, both by 8-7 outcomes in 10 innings.
In Sunday’s finale, Cornell exploded for eight runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to draw even at 12-12. The tie score stood into the top of the 10th, when Luther (3-3) pulled ahead with a four-run frame that was aided by two Cornell errors.
The Rams, who totaled 14 hits in the game, went down in order in the bottom of the 10th.
Colin Gierula went 3-for-5 with two RBIs. Leadoff man Seth Beals had two hits and scored three times, highlighted by a three-run homer in the seventh. Darren Mancke, Colin Konicek and Paxson Wright also recorded multi-hit games for the Rams.
Cornell used seven pitchers in the contest. Sophomore Grant Morris did not allow an earned run in two effective innings of relief.
The Rams also took a 5-0 loss to Augastana earlier in the week.
Cornell fell behind by a 5-0 margin through three innings, then played the defending CCIW Tournament champions even the rest of the game.
Wright scattered just three hits in a solid relief appearance. He came in for all-conference starter Kole Hinrichsen, who yielded three earned runs while striking out four over four innings.
First baseman Drew Logel accounted for Cornell’s lone two hits of the contest, including a double. Josiah Shaw recorded a stolen base.
Augustana totaled 10 hits, six coming in the first three innings.