Box Score
 
VESTAL, N.Y. – Junior Ryan Plantier was 2-for-3 with a three-run home run, but the baseball team couldn't hold on to a four-run lead in a 6-5 nonleague loss to Binghamton on Wednesday.
 
The host Bearcats surged ahead for good with four unearned runs in the fifth inning, which included two of the the teams' combined six errors. Starter TJ Parthemer was tagged for the loss, though only two of the six runs he surrendered in 4.1 innings were earned.
 
Cornell's first hit give it a 4-0 lead in the second inning, when Plantier's three-run homer cleared the fence in left field. The first run came across hwen Forrest Crawford's sacrifice bunt was thrown away by Binghamton's pitcher, allowing Conor McCabe to score from second. Plantier's blast then scored McCabe and Crawford.
 
It was Plantier's second homer of the season. Sophomore Kevin Tatum is the only other Big Red player with two home runs, one behind junior Chris Cruz for the team lead.
 
Binghamton (20-14) responded with Zach Blanden's two-run homer in the bottom of the third, but JD Whetsel then scored the fifth run for Cornell (21-15) in the top of the fifth. The sophomore leadoff hitter yanked a one-out double down the line in left. After the inning's second out, Whetsel stole third – his team-leading 17th theft of the season – before scoring on a fielding error on the same play.
 
The Bearcats took its first – and last – lead of the day in the bottom half of the frame, with all four runs the product of a couple of Big Red infield errors. Cornell had four errors on the day.
 
The Big Red threatened one last time in the top of the ninth. Pinch-hitter Ben Swinford led off with a single, then advanced to second a sacrifice bunt by Plantier. After the pinch-hitting Cruz was hit by a pitch, both runners moved into scoring position on a groundout. But the game ended on a line drive to the Bearcats' left fielder.
 
Cornell returns to action at noon Friday with a doubleheader at Princeton. The teams will then travel to Ithaca, N.Y. for another doubleheader at noon Sunday at Hoy Field.