Box Score (Cornell 5, Appalachian State 3)
Box Score (Appalachian State 8, Cornell 7)

BOONE, N.C. -- Jadd Schmeltzer pitched seven and a third innings of four-hit ball to push the Cornell baseball team to a 5-3 win in game one of a doubleheader against Appalachian State on Friday. The Mountaineers then took the second game of the day, 8-7, to close out Cornell's spring break trip.

In the opener, Mickey Brodsky and Tom D'Alessandro both had a pair of hits for the Big Red offense, with Brodsky clubbing a two-run home run in the eighth inning that would prove to be the difference in the contest. Brandon Lee, Brenton Peters and Anthony Irigoyen each picked up a hit in the contest.

Cornell (2-13) got on the board first in the third inning as Peters led off with a single, moved to second on a walk by Brian Billigen, and scored on Brodsky's single up the middle. The Big Red would add to the lead in the sixth when D'Alessandro led off with a double, moved to third on Brodsky's groundout to second, then scored on a sacrifice fly by Ben Swinford.

Meanwhile, Schmeltzer was on a roll on the mound. He retired the side in order in four of the first seven innings, and got out of trouble when he caught a baserunner trying to steal home in the third. Schmeltzer would work seven and a third innings, allowing four hits and two runs while striking out three for his first win of the season.

In the eighth, Cornell made it 4-0 on Brodsky's home run, after D'Alessandro singled with one out. Those runs would be key as Schmeltzer tired in the seventh, getting an out but then walking a pair of batters. Dan Lea came on and walked the bases loaded before allowing a two-run single and a sacrifice fly to cut the Cornell lead to 4-3. Marshall Yanzick then made it 5-3 in the ninth, being hit by a pitch and stealing second and scoring on Irigoyen's single to close out the scoring. Rick Marks came on in the ninth and recorded a pair of strikeouts for his first save of the year.

With storms in the forecast for Saturday, the regularly scheduled contest was moved to Friday, and again Cornell jumped out early against the Mountaineers. Chris Cruz had the big day at the plate in game two, going 3-for-4 with a grand slam, while Yanzick went 2-for-3 and Billigen was 2-for-5. 

In the second, Frank Hager reached on a fielding error on the center fielder and moved to third, then scored on Yanzick's sacrifice bunt. Appalachian State tied the game with a run in the third off starter Corey Pappel, but Cornell claimed a 5-1 lead in the fifth. Three singles and a fielder's choice loaded the bases for Cruz, who belted a pitch over the wall in left to put the Big Red up.

Appalachian State (12-12) cut into the deficit with a run in the fifth before exploding for four runs in the sixth, tacking on another pair in the seventh to take the 8-5 lead. Cornell then tried to rebound with a pair of runs in the ninth. Yanzick and Cruz led off with a single and a double, respectively, with pinch-hitter Brenton Peters driving home Yanzick on a groundout to second. Billigen then doubled down the left-field line, scoring Cruz, and moved to third on a foul out to first by D'Alessandro, but he would remain stranded there as Brodsky grounded out to short to end the game.

Pappel took the loss in game two, working six and two-thirds of an inning, allowing five earned runs on eight hits with a pair of strikeouts. Dan Lea was charged with two runs in two-thirds of an inning, while Mike Kazley worked a scoreless two-thirds of an inning to wrap up the contest.

Cornell returns home and will open up the home portion of the 2011 season on Wednesday, taking on Binghamton in a 3 p.m. contest at Hoy Field.