Box Score (vs. UMES)
Box Score (vs. Saint Peter's)
 
PRINCESS ANNE, Md. — The baseball team started off its season with a 5-3 win in 10 innings at Maryland-Eastern Shore, with junior Ryan Plantier knocking in the go-ahead runs with two-out double to right field. Sophomore Eric Upton earned the victory with three scoreless innings of relief, and classmate Kellen Urbon nailed down his 10th career save for the Big Red, which was a perfect 5-0 in extra-inning games last season.

Cornell then dropped its second game of the day, 4-3, to Saint Peter's. Junior Tom D'Alessandro was 3-for-8 with five RBIs and a stolen base over the two games for the Big Red. Junior Ben Swinford also had three hits and a stolen base.

Game 1: Cornell 5, UMES 3
The Big Red took an early 1-0 lead in the second inning. Junior Ben Swinford hit a one-out double along the left-field line, advanced to third on the inning's second out, then scored on an infield single by senior Chris Burke.
 
UMES (1-8) countered with a three-run fifth inning to take a two-run lead. It was the only frame in which Cornell starter Connor Kaufmann faced more than the minimum three hitters, as he finished fanned six while yielding three runs on four hits through six innings for the quality start.
 
The Big Red tied the game in the eighth after three straight one-out singles from the top third of the lineup, senior Brenton Peters, and sophomores JD Whetsel and Kevin Tatum. Tom D'Alessandro later stroked a two-out single to right, plating both Peters and Whetsel to knot the game at 3. Cornell attempted to steal home for the go-ahead run in the ninth, but the play was thwarted and forced the game to extra innings.
 
Meanwhile, Upton was near-flawless in relief of Kaufmann. The lefty surrendered just a pair of one-out singles in three scoreless innings, striking out three with no walks.
 
That set the stage for the Cornell 10th, when Tatum and sophomore Matt Hall hit back-to-back singles with one out to set the table. A flyout produced the second out of the frame, but Plantier then delivered the knockout blow with his two-run double to right. Urbon then emerged from the Cornell bullpen and induced a double play after a lead-off single, then fanned a batter for the final out and first save of the season.

Game 2: Saint Peter's 4, Cornell 3
The Peacocks scored all of their runs in the eighth inning to erase a three-run deficit and spoil a stellar outing from Big Red starter Brian McAfee.

D'Alessandro drove in all of the Big Red's runs. The first came in the sixth inning, driving in Brenton Peters from second after the leadoff man started the frame with a walk. Peters walked again to kick off the eighth, then moved up to second on Whetsel's single. A groundout advanced both runners into scoring position and then, after the second out of the inning, D'Alessandro singled through the left side to bring home both runners and give Cornell a 3-0 lead.

McAfee kept Saint Peter's off the board in his seven-inning start. The Peacocks mustered just three hits off the All-Ivy League Second Teamer, who fanned six without issuing a walk. None of the runners advanced past first base.

But Saint Peter's did all of the damage it needed in a four-run eighth inning to secure its second win of the season. The Big Red will have a rematch with the Peacocks at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Hawks Stadium.