Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

BOONE, N.C. — Matt Hall went 5-for-6 with four RBI in the second game of a Saturday doubleheader at Appalachian State, and the baseball team hit its first three home runs of the season in a 15-5 victory at Wilson Field. The win avenged a 9-4 loss in the opening game of the twin bill, leaving the Big Red 5-5 heading into Sunday's rubber game.
 
Batting from the cleanup spot, the sophomore Hall had two doubles among his five hits in the game – including a three-run two-bagger in the Big Red's seven-run fourth inning. Ryan Plantier hit a three-run homer to right earlier in the stanza – the first round-tripper of the season for Cornell. Plantier now has a team-high 12 RBIs.
 
The Big Red stretched its lead to 11-0 in the fifth inning. Leadoff hitter JD Whetsel had an RBI single in the frame, finishing the game 3-for-6 with three runs, two stolen bases and four RBIs. Whetsel would later hit a three-run home run in the eighth inning. Tom D'Alessandro hit Cornell's other home run, a solo shot to lead off the seventh. He was 3-for-4 with three runs and two RBIs.
 
Sophomore lefty Nick Busto earned the victory, surrendering just four hits in seven innings of work for his first career victory as a weekend starter. All three runs he surrendered came unearned in the fifth.
 
In the first game, the Big Red stormed out to a three-run lead. Brenton Peters, Spenser Souza and Planter had two hits apiece for Cornell.
 
Peters led off the game with the Big Red's first triple of the season, then scored on D'Alessandro sacrifice fly to center field to stake the Big Red to an early 1-0 lead. Cornell then pushed that lead to 3-0 in the second inning. Souza hit a one-out single, then stole second. After a Whetsel walk, Plantier singled through the right side of the infield to drive in Souza and push Whetsel to third. A wild pitch then allowed Whetsel to score.
 
The Big Red then fell victim to the long ball, surrendering the first of four Mountaineers home runs in the bottom of the second to cut the lead to 3-1. Appalachian State then pushed ahead with a five-run fourth inning before taking a 9-3 lead into the ninth.
 
Cornell threatened in the final inning, loading the bases with no outs on walks by Whetsel and Collin McGee, and a Plantier single. Eliot Lowell pinch ran for McGee, then scored on a wild pitch to make the score 9-4 with two runners in scoring position. But that's as close as the Big Red would get.
 
The third and final game of the series is scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday before the Big Red resumes its Spring Break trip with two games at Davidson on Tuesday and Wednesday.