Sean Alvarez’s two-run double sent the Rams off a 19-9 winner via the mercy rule over Central Sunday, capping an explosive offensive weekend for Cornell’s baseball team at Ash Park.
The Rams (2-1) won two of three games in the season-opening series, accumulating 49 hits and 38 runs against the Dutch (2-4). Cornell posted a hefty .462 team batting average in the set.
Alvarez, a junior utility man, finished an exceptional weekend batting .889 (8-of-9) and slugging 1.111 with seven runs. The Cornell newcomer went 3-for-3 Sunday with four runs, two doubles and a pair of RBIs.
Junior outfielder Seth Beals joined Cornell’s 100-hits club, going 3-for-4 with three runs from the leadoff spot. He reached base safely for the 31st consecutive game.
Esteban Perez and Darren Mancke produced in the heart of the batting order, each collecting five RBIs. Mancke doubled twice. Perez and Kale Rose tallied three hits apiece.
The Rams built an early 6-0 lead, but then needed more offense after Central struck eight times in the fourth inning to forge ahead 9-6. Cornell answered with 12 runs in its final three at-bats to finish off the Dutch.
Freshman reliever Cameron Anderson pitched three scoreless innings of three-hit ball to earn the victory. He struck out four.
All nine of Central’s runs in the contest were unearned.
Earlier in the weekend, Cornell split wins with a 12-2 Game 1 victory before having a lead slip away in a 14-7 nightcap loss on a sunny Saturday against Central at Ash Park Field.
The Rams (1-1) had six newcomers play a hand in the opening win, highlighted by an impressive start from right-hander Lucas Brutsche who limited the Dutch (2-3) to one run and four hits through 5.2 innings. The freshman struck out six.
Cornell’s talented lineup accumulated 15 hits in the seven-inning opener, six coming in the first inning as the Rams set the tone early. The Rams built an 8-0 lead through three innings.
Junior transfer Sean Alvarez went 4-for-5 with three runs and two RBIs. Kale Rose was a home run shy of hitting for the cycle, scoring four times and driving in two.
Newcomers Esteban Perez and Cade Parks joined Alec Boldt with two hits apiece. Perez had three RBIs.
The Rams were seemingly in control of Game 2, leading 6-1 through three innings and 6-2 going into the seventh. Central rallied for 12 runs in the final three innings to salvage the split.
Cornell outhit the Dutch, 16-8, although allowed eight walks and had two errors that resulted in six unearned runs.
Boldt went 3-for-4 to lead Cornell’s attack. Ryan Skala doubled and drove in three runs. Seth Beals, Darren Mancke, Vince Tinajero and Vince Zipperer collected two hits apiece.
Cornell starting pitcher Jake Schope allowed four hits and struck out seven over 6.1 innings. The senior retired 13 consecutive batters during one stretch.