Cornell connects for six homers in Sunday split with Bucs
Cornell scored 22 times and blasted six home runs in Sunday’s doubleheader split with defending Midwest Conference baseball champion Beloit at Glasgow Field.
The Rams (9-6 overall, 1-2 MWC) went deep four times – including a pair of homers by Sean Alvarez – in the 9-7 Game 1 victory. Beloit (9-5 overall, 2-1 MWC) prevailed in a 16-13 slugfest in Game 2.
Cornell dropped Saturday’s opening game of the series, 6-1.
The Rams powered their way to Sunday’s opening win with seven extra-base hits. Alvarez had himself a game with two homers, a double, three runs and three RBIs. Kale Rose singled, doubled, homered and scored twice. Seth Beals went 2-for-5 with a home run.
Cornell went ahead to stay with a four-run fifth inning, keyed by Esteban Perez’s double that scored a pair. Perez finished with three RBIs in the contest.
Junior Kaleb Whaley (3-1) pitched five strong innings in relief to earn the win. The right-hander allowed four hits and two runs while fanning six.
The offensive-filled nightcap witnessed 29 total hits and 39 players used between the two teams. Freshman Cade Parks led Cornell’s 15-hit attack, going 4-for-5 with three RBIs. Colin Whelan was 3-for-6 with a double, homer, three runs and two RBIs.
Rose connected for his fourth homer of the season, tying Alvarez for team-high honors. Rose collected two hits, three runs and three RBIs. Beals doubled twice and Perez also had two hits for the Rams.
Rose and Whelan belted back-to-back homers in the top of the seventh as Cornell pulled within 11-9. The Buccaneers regained control with three consecutive homers in the bottom of the seventh, giving them enough cushion in the end.
Earlier in the week, the Rams lost 6-1 to Beloit.
The Rams and Buccaneers will complete the three-game series Sunday with a noon doubleheader at Glasgow Field in Monmouth, Ill.
Cornell collected 10 hits in the opener, although couldn’t break through against the MWC preseason favorite, stranding nine runners on base.
Cornell’s lone run of the contest came on a two-out single by Perez that plated Rose in the bottom of the first. Beloit scored four of its runs with two outs and finished with 11 hits.
Rose went 3-for-4 from the No. 3 slot in the lineup. Alvarez and Parks added two hits apiece for the Rams.
Cornell starting pitcher Cameron Anderson (1-1) struck out seven over four innings, yielding three hits and two runs.