Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 ITHACA, N.Y. – The baseball team opened Ivy League play in dramatic fashion with a pair of games that went to the final at-bat Saturday against Dartmouth, resulting in split at Hoy Field. The Big Red won the opener, 3-2, before falling in the nightcap, 5-4, in 11 innings.

Juniors JD Whetsel, Ryan Karl and Matt Hall had four hits apiece for Cornell (8-8, 1-1 Ivy League), which is scheduled to return to action at noon Sunday with a doubleheader against Harvard at Hoy Field.

Game 1: CORNELL 3, DARTMOUTH 2 (Box Score) | Game Highlights
Whetsel drove in sophomore pinch runner Jordan Winawer with two out in the bottom of the seventh inning, lifting the Big Red to a walk-off victory.

Eric Upton earned the victory with 1.2 innings of scoreless relief, setting the stage for Whetsel's winning hit. Hall led off the bottom of the seventh with a double that one-hopped the wall in left before being removed in favor of the pinch-runner Winawer, making his collegiate debut. Winawer advanced to third on a groundout to the right side. Whetsel followed with a single past the diving third baseman, giving the Big Red the victory in its Ivy League opener.

Karl drove in the Big Red's first run in the third inning, plating Whetsel after his leadoff single was followed by another base hit from senior Tom D'Alessandro.

The Big Green tied the game with an unearned run in the top of the fourth, but senior Chris Cruz pulled the Big Red back ahead with his third home run of the season in the bottom half of the frame. But Dartmouth was once again quick to counter after Jeff Keller hit a two-out triple and scored on Joe Purritano's base hit to left-center.

Sophomore starter Michael Byrne earned a no-decision, surrendering two runs (one earned) in 5.1 innings. Upton inherited a runner in the sixth before eventually working out of danger by striking out leadoff man Matt Parisi looking to strand to runners in scoring position.

Hall was 2-for-3 with two doubles in the game.

Game 2: DARTMOUTH 5, CORNELL 4 (11 innings) (Box Score) | Game Highlights
Ryan Planter was 3-for-4 with an RBI and run scored before being removed for a pinch runner, and Whetsel and Karl both had a double among their three respective hits for the Big Red. But Cornell couldn't hold on to a three-run lead after six innings and suffered some bad luck on a double play in the 11th inning.

Nick Ruppert scored the go-ahead run for the Big Green after a working a leadoff walk and advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt. Thomas Roulis squirted a base hit to left field with Ruppert rounding third to set up a play at the plate. Cornell left fielder Ben Swinford's throw was snagged by catcher Collin McGee before he applied the tag to Ruppert's feet, but the umpire ruled Ruppert's head-first slide beat the play to give Dartmouth a 5-4 lead.

The Big Red brought the top of the order to the plate in the bottom of the 11th, and Whetsel delivered by legging out an infield single on a ball hit toward the hole on the left side. D'Alessandro then pulled back a bunt and sent the ball back up the box with a butcher-boy swing, but the Big Green shortstop was already moving toward second in anticipation of a bunt and a possible play at second. That allowed the shortstop to corral the ball at the bag and turn an easy 6-6-3 double play and quash the threat.

Cornell opened the scoring on three consecutive one-out singles in the third. Whetsel had the first, then he stole second and scored on D'Alessandro's base hit against Dartmouth starter Louis Concato.

The Big Red extended its lead to three runs in the sixth. Kevin Tatum roped a double to right to lead off the inning, then he advanced to third when Hall was unfortunate to be retired on a ball up the middle that hit the pitcher in the calf, then caromed to the shortstop for the putout at first. Plantier followed with a single through the left side to plate Tatum. Plantier advanced to second on the second out of the inning, then came around to score when Whetsel dumped a double into short center in front of the diving Dartmouth outfielder.

The Big Green then took its first lead of the day with a four-run seventh. With the bases loaded and two out, reigning Ivy League Rookie of the Year Joe Purritano got the visitors on the board with a two-run single to center. Another RBI single followed to tie the game, and Dartmouth took the lead on an unearned run scoring on a passed ball.

Cornell forced extra innings with a run in the eighth. With two on and two out, Whetsel worked his way back from an 0-2 count to earn a walk and load the bases. D'Alessandro followed with another walk to drive in the pinch-runner Winawer from third. With the bases loaded, Karl laced a line drive that could have easily given the Big Red the lead if it weren't hit directly at the right fielder.