Box Score

BOONE, N.C. -- Cornell head a 3-1 lead midway through the game, but Appalachian State scored seven runs in the final three and a half innings to take an 8-3 victory from the Big Red in a non-conference baseball contest on Thursday afternoon in Boone, N.C. 

Taylor Wood got the start and pitched six innings, finally tiring in the sixth. Wood had allowed just two hits through the first five innings, but surrendered another three in a four-run sixth inning as the Mountaineers took a 5-3 lead. Wood would take the loss, surrendering five runs, four of them earned, on six hits over six innings, walking two and striking out three. Houston Hawley and Rick Marks each pitched an inning of relief, with Hawley surrendering one run on one hit and a walk, while Marks allowed a pair of runs on three hits and two walks.

At the plate for the Big Red on the day, Brian Billigen, Tom D'Alessandro, Mickey Brodsky and Marshall Yanzick each had a pair of hits, with Billigen driving in two of the three Cornell runs. The Big Red offense collected 11 hits on the day, but stranded nine men on base, five of them in scoring position.

Cornell (1-12) got out to the early lead in the first when Billigen led off with a single, stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Brodsky's single to right. After the Mountaineers tied the score at one in the bottom half of the inning, the Big Red claimed a 3-1 lead in the fourth. Ryan Plantier singled and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, then moved to third on a single by Yanzick. A groundout to third moved Yanzick to second with two out, and Billigen delivered a two-out single to right to score a pair and give the Big Red the two-run lead.

The lead would last until the sixth, when an error on Wood was compounded by a three-run home run. Appalachian State (11-11) tacked on another in the sixth, one more in the seventh and two more in the eighth to seal away the win.

The two teams will return to action on Friday, playing another 3 p.m. contest in Boone, N.C.