Box Score (Le Moyne 19, Cornell 3)
Box Score (Le Moyne 5, Cornell 1)

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- The Cornell baseball team dropped a pair of games to Central New York rival Le Moyne on Tuesday afternoon in Syracuse, N.Y. The Big Red lost the opener, 19-3, before the Dolphins broke open a pitching duel in game two to score a 5-1 victory.

Cornell collected just 10 hits in the two games, while combining for nine errors in the field. Brenton Peters and Mickey Brodsky both had a pair of hits on the afternoon, with Brian Billigen scoring a pair of runs.

In the opener, Cornell (4-22) struck early, manufacturing a run in the top of the first. Billigen walked and moved to second when Marshall Yanzick grounded out to third, then scored on Brodsky's single to center. The lead would be short-lived, however, as the Dolphins would score five runs in the bottom half of the inning off starter Mike Kazley.

Kazley would last just one inning, giving way to Joe Sinopoli, who worked two and two-thirds before running into trouble. He allowed one run and had a man on third with two out before a pair of singles and a catchers interference chased him from the game, with four unearned runs being charged to him. Mike Carroll came on for the final out of the inning, but not before allowing three unearned runs as the Dolphins put up eight runs in the fourth inning to take a 13-1 lead.

Le Moyne (11-22) tacked on four more runs in the fifth and two in the sixth off Daniel Filous to stretch the lead to 19-3 after Cornell scored a pair in the sixth. A leadoff walk by Yanzick and a single by Brodsky put men on first and second, and Ben Swinford singled inside the bag at third to score Yanzick and move Anthony Irigoyen, pinch-running for Brodsky, to second. A walk to Chris Cruz loaded the bases, and Chris Burke singled to center to score Irigoyen from third, but the Cornell rally would end with a pair of strikeouts. Cornell got a baserunner in the seventh, but could not push across any more runs, falling to the 19-3 defeat.

Game two had a completely different tone, though it began much the same way that the opener did. Billigen singled to right to open the contest, stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Yanzick's groundout to second as the Big Red jumped out to the early 1-0 lead. Le Moyne would respond in the bottom half of the inning, however, and scored in identical fashion, as a single, stolen base, passed ball and a groundout to second scored the tying run.

Chris Cruz would settle in, working three innings of one-hit ball to open the contest. He struck out one and got the Big Red into the fourth, where Houston Hawley took over. Hawley continued the strong pitching ways until the sixth, when a pair of errors put two runners on with nobody out. A bunt single followed to load the bases, but Hawley struck out one batter before allowing a sacrifice fly to center to score the go-ahead run. After an intentional walk, Le Moyne's Brian Stinson delivered a two-run single to left to give the Dolphins a 4-1 lead. The Dolphins added another run on a double steal, providing them with a 5-1 lead heading into Cornell's final three outs.

In the seventh, Cornell was able to get a pair of baserunners when Brenton Peters and Ryan Plantier both singled with one out, but the Phil Mullan and Tom D'Alessandro struck out to end the game.

Cornell will next turn its attention to the start of Gehrig Division play, traveling to Columbia for a four-game set this weekend. The Big Red and Lions will play doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday, with first pitch both afternoons scheduled for noon.