Cornell vs. Siena Box Score
Cornell vs. #16 Virginia Box Score
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- The Cornell baseball team dropped a pair of games on Sunday, falling to Siena, 8-5, in the opening game before losing to No. 16 Virginia, 12-3, at Davenport Field in Charlottesville, Va. The Big Red falls to 1-3 on the year with the two defeats.
In the opening game, the Big Red fell behind Siena 7-1 after two and a half innings, but the Big Red offense chipped away at the lead to cut the deficit to 7-4 after six. In the third inning, Nathan Ford hit a double to left center that scored Brian Kaufman from first. In the fourth, Mickey Brodsky drew a leadoff walk, then moved to third on a single to left by Jerry Vitiello. Brodsky then scored on an RBI groundout by Domenic Di Ricco as Cornell cut the deficit to 7-3.
The Big Red got another run back in the sixth as Vitiello drove in Kaleb Hutchinson, who led off the inning with a single. Siena added an insurance run in the top of the ninth, but the Big Red continued to battle back. Vitiello started the rally with a one-out double to center. After Di Ricco lined out, Jimmy Heinz walked, and both players moved up on a wild pitch. A walk to Kaufman loaded the bases, and a walk to Nathan Ford drove in Vitiello, but Kyle Groth flew out to center to leave the bases loaded.
Vitiello led the Big Red by going 3-for-4 on the game with a run scored and one driven in. Brodsky scored twice, including his first collegiate home run in the second inning. Jimmy Heinz added a pair of hits in the opener. On the mound, Dan Lea got the start and worked just an inning and two-thirds, surrendering five runs on four hits and two walks. Matt Hill came on and worked 6.1 innings of two-run relief, scattering six hits and striking out five. Steven Osterer worked the final inning, allowing one run on one hit while striking out two.
In the second game against the nationally ranked Cavaliers, Virginia jumped out to a 10-0 lead after two innings, helped by four Cornell errors, and never looked back. David Rochefort lasted just the first two innings, allowing 10 runs, but only five of them earned, on six hits and two walks while striking out a pair. Bryce Klinesteker then came on and worked five innings of solid relief, allowing just one run on four hits and two walks while striking out five. Osterer then worked the eighth, allowing one run on two hits.
Cornell's three runs all came in the fifth inning. Scott Hardinger drew a one-out walk, then moved to third on a double to left by Adam Jacobs. Di Ricco then followed with a double to left, scoring both Hardinger and Jacobs, and scored himself on a single to left by Heinz.
Heinz collected a pair of hits on the game, while Di Ricco led the squad with two runs batted in.
Cornell returns to action next weekend, playing three games at the Villanova Classic. Cornell opens the tournament on Friday against LaSalle at 2:30 p.m.