Box Score

VESTAL, N.Y. -- Mike Lopez and Brian Billigen both homered as the Cornell baseball team picked up a 12-8 victory over Binghamton on Wednesday afternoon in Vestal, N.Y. Billigen hit his fourth homer of the season, while Lopez hit his second of the year and picked up four RBI on the day to lead the Big Red.

Lopez and Billigen were two of the six players who picked up a pair of hits on the day, with Matt Langseth, Kyle Groth, Nate David and Jerry Vitiello each recording two. Groth, Vitiello and Frank Hager each scored a pair of runs on the day, with Vitiello and Billigen both driving in a pair along with Lopez's four.

Matt Hill got the start and went five innings for the victory, allowing three runs and striking out four. Rick Marks worked 1.2 innings, allowing one earned run, and Mickey Brodsky pitched 1.1 scoreless innings. David Rochefort worked the ninth and allowed three runs, just the third time in his 17 appearances this season that he has conceded any runs.

Binghamton (16-18) took an early lead with a three-run home run from Corey Taylor in the bottom of the first, but Cornell responded with a pair of runs in the top of the second. David led off the inning with a single and moved to second when Vitiello was hit by a pitch. Lopez then followed with a double to right-center, scoring David, and Billigen drove Vitiello in from third on a ground out to second.

Cornell (14-19) took the lead in the third, again with Lopez providing the big hit. Spencer Souza walked and Vitiello reached on a fielder's choice, bringing the catcher to the plate with two on and two out. Lopez then slammed a pitch over the wall in right, putting the Big Red ahead, 5-3.

The Big Red added to the lead in the fourth, as Cornell strung together four singles, a hit-batsman and a sacrifice fly to score three. The Big Red put another three on the board in the fifth, as Langseth scored on a wild pitch and Vitiello drove in a pair with a double down the line in left. Billigen then led off the sixth with a home run to right, staking Cornell to a 12-3 lead after five and a half innings.

The Bearcats came back with a single run in the bottom of the sixth, as Mike Danaher hit into a run-scoring fielder's choice. In the seventh, John Miele hit an RBI single to bring Binghamton back to within 12-5.

In the ninth, Binghamton led off the inning with back-to-back singles before Taylor hit a sacrifice fly to score one. Miele then singled and Jeff Skelhorne-Gross was hit by a pitch to load the bases. A fielder's choice scored another run, and a single to center plated another run, but Rochefort was able to get Jim Calderone to pop up to second to end the rally and give Cornell the 12-8 victory.

Cornell returns to action on Friday, taking on Princeton in a 12 p.m. doubleheader at Hoy Field. Friday will be Senior Day, as the eight members of the Class of 2010 will be honored on the field in between games of the doubleheader.