NEW YORK – Senior Conor McCabe and sophomore Kevin Tatum hit back-to-back doubles, but that was essentially all of the offense the baseball team could muster Saturday in a pair of losses to division-leading Columbia, 8-1 and 5-0.
 
The losses leave Cornell (17-12, 5-5 Ivy League) three games behind Columbia (16-15, 8-2 Ivy) in the Ivy League's Lou Gehrig Division standings heading into another doubleheader between the teams on Sunday at Robertson Field at Satow Stadium.
 
Game 1 – Columbia 8, Cornell 1 – Box Score
Alex Black starred for the Lions, going 2-for-3 with a run-scoring double in Columbia's three-run third and a solo home run to lead off the bottom of the fifth. The Lions then blew the game open with a three-run sixth.
 
David Speer tossed a four-hit complete game for Columbia, striking out seven while working around walks to juniors Ryan Plantier and Tom D'Alessandro. All four Cornell hits came from the bottom four spots in the order. McCabe led off the fifth with a double to left-center to break up Speer's no-hit bid, then came around to score on Tatum's double to right.
 
D'Alessandro and pinch-hitting Forrest Crawford had the Big Red's other two hits in the seventh inning.
 
Game 2 – Columbia 5, Cornell 0 – Box Score
The Lions plated four runs over the first three innings before chasing starter Brent Jones, but freshman reliever Michael Byrne came on to work 4.1 scoreless innings in relief to keep the game within reach.
 
Unfortunately for Cornell, the offense couldn't break through in what amounted to a six-hit shutout for the hosts. Joey Donino earned the win with seven strikeouts and no walks over six innings, then Mike Weisman earned the save with three scoreless frames of his own while working around three hits.
 
Senior Brenton Peters and junior Tom D'Alessandro were both 2-for-4 for the Big Red, and sophomore JD Whetsel and junior Ryan Plantier accounted for the other hits. Freshman reliever Matt Horton worked the ninth innings for Cornell, surrendering just an unearned run.