Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Cornell baseball team picked up a split of an Ivy League doubleheader against Yale on Tuesday afternoon at Hoy Field, dropping the first game, 3-2, but coming back with a 4-2 win in the second contest. Cornell improves to 4-12 on the year and 2-2 in Ivy League play, while Yale is now 6-9 overall and 2-2 in league action.

Scott Hardinger went 3-for-7 with a pair of runs scored and one RBI on the day, while Brian Billigen was 3-for-6 with a run and one RBI to lead the Big Red offense. Cornell also had outstanding pitching on the day, highlighted by Tony Bertucci's six scoreless innings in game two.

In the opener, Yale got a run in the second inning off a triple and an RBI groundout, but Cornell answered back in the bottom of the third. Hardinger hit a one-out single up the middle that never got out of the infield, then moved to third on a perfectly executed hit-and-run by Nathan Ford. Mickey Brodsky then hit a bloop single over second base that glanced off the glove of Yale second baseman Gant Elmore before dropping into center field, allowing Hardinger to score and knot the game at one.

Yale got two runs back in the fourth, with a sacrifice fly and a single to right-center scoring a pair of runs to put the Bulldogs ahead, 3-1. The score would remain that way as Brodsky, who started the game, sent down each of the final 10 batters he faced to finish out the game.

Cornell got a run back in the bottom of the seventh, as Domenic Di Ricco led off with a double to left-center, moved to second on a groundout to third and scored on Ford's groundout to short, but Brodsky struck out to end the game.

Brodsky worked a complete game, allowing three runs on five hits and two walks, striking out a pair. Yale starter Brandon Josselyn worked a complete game for the win, surrendering seven hits and two walks while striking out five.

Cornell jumped out in front in game two, tacking on a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning off Yale starter Chris Finneran. Hardinger was hit by a pitch and Brodsky walked with two out to bring Jadd Schmeltzer to the plate, and the sophomore answered by hitting a double that bounced off the warning track in left, scoring both Hardinger and Brodsky. Cornell added a run in the second as Billigen singled, stole second and scored on Hardinger's single through the left side as the Big Red chased Finneran from the game. Pat Ludwig came on to get the final out of the second, but Cornell touched him up for a run in the third, as Nate David singled, moved to second on a  single by Adam Jacobs and scored on a single by Billigen, making the score 4-0.

While the offense was staking itself to a big lead, Bertucci was rolling, including striking out the side in the second. Yale did not get a runner past second until the fifth inning, but the junior got out of the jam with a fly out to right. Bertucci left after six innings, and Taylor Wood came on to work the seventh.

Wood got into a little trouble, allowing back-to-back doubles to open the inning, but, after walking the next batter, got out of the inning by three straight ground outs. David Rochefort came on for the eighth and retired the side, then struck out the side in the ninth for his second save of the season.

Bertucci took the win, allowing just six hits in six innings while fanning five. Finneran took the loss for the Bulldogs, allowing three runs in 1.2 innings of work with a pair of strikeouts.

Cornell returns to action on Saturday, traveling to Harvard for a noon doubleheader against the Crimson in Cambridge, Mass. The Big Red is next at home on Wednesday, April 8, against Binghamton.