Box Score (Game 1 - Cornell 1, Columbia 0)
Box Score (Game 2 - Columbia 3, Cornell 2)

ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Cornell baseball team picked up a split of a doubleheader against Columbia on Saturday, winning the opener in a pitcher's duel, 1-0, before falling in the nightcap by a 3-2 margin. Cornell scored all three of its runs in the final inning of each game, including Marshall Yanzick's RBI single to end game one.

Cornell (12-18, 5-9 Ivy) picked up just three hits in the opener, with Kyle Groth, Nate David and Yanzick each tallying a hit. Corey Pappel worked 6.1 innings, allowing five hits and ducking in and out of trouble on the day, but kept the Lions off the scoreboard. David Rochefort came on with one out in the seventh and a runner on second, and got a strikeout and a pop-out sandwiched around an intentional walk to escape the top half of the frame unscored upon.

In the bottom of the seventh, Groth was hit by a pitch with one out and moved to second on a single by David. Matt Langseth hit into a fielder's choice that put runners on the corners, and Yanzick roped a single to the gap in right center to score Souza, pinch-running for Groth, to spark the celebration off the bench for the Big Red.

Rochefort claimed the victory, his third of the season, as he and Pappel combined to strike out five Columbia batters. Pat Lowery took the loss for Columbia (19-17, 10-4 Ivy), working 6.2 innings and allowing three hits and two walks, striking out five. Columbia twice left runners on third base, including the first and sixth innings, and had at least one baserunner in each of the seven innings, stranding 11 men in the contest.

Game two was much of the same, though the Lions collected 14 hits off Cornell starter Tony Bertucci, who worked eight innings. Despite giving up double-digit hit totals, Bertucci was sharp, as 89 of his 117 pitches on the day went for strikes.

Matt Langseth had two of the seven Cornell hits in the second game, as Brian Billigen, Kyle Groth, Nate David, Mike Lopez and Jadd Schmeltzer each picked up a hit.

Bertucci and the Cornell defense kept the Lions off the scoreboard until the sixth inning, getting help from his fielders behind him. In the third, Billy Rumpke led off with a double to left, then tried to score from second on Dean Forthun's single to left, but Groth's throw from left was in time as Mike Lopez laid the tag on Rumpke before he could touch the plate. Columbia again left men on third base in the first and fifth innings as the game remained scoreless through five.

In the sixth, though, Alexander Aurrichio led off with a home run to left, and Nick Ferraresi doubled down the left-field line. Alex Ferrara then hit a double to right, scoring Ferraresi, but was thrown out trying to stretch the hit into a triple as Brian Billigen's throw from right was right to Frank Hager covering third.

Forthun scored the third run of the game for the Lions in the seventh, hitting a two-out double and scoring on Aurrichio's single to right, giving Columbia a 3-0 lead. Geoff Whitaker came on in relief of starter Tim Giel for the eighth and struck out the side, but Rochefort retired the Lions in order in the ninth to keep Cornell to within three.

In the bottom of the ninth, Cornell got a lead-off home run from Nate David over the wall in left, and Langseth followed with a double to right that was just inside the bag at first. Anthony Irigoyen then grounded out, moving Langseth to third, and the senior scored when Jadd Schmeltzer lined a pinch-hit double to left that hit less than a foot from the top of the wall. Souza again pinch-ran, but Billigen lined out and Brenton Peters struck out looking to end the contest.

Bertucci took the loss, with Giel earning the win and Whitaker picking up his third save of the season.

Cornell and Columbia will play another twinbill on Sunday to close out the four-game set at Hoy Field. First pitch of game one is scheduled for noon.