Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 FAIRFAX, Va. – The baseball team split its third consecutive doubleheader Wednesday, staving off George Mason for a 3-2 victory in the nightcap after suffering a 2-1 loss in the opener.
 
Freshmen pitchers Tim Willittes, Scott Soltis and Ray Brewer all performed well in their collegiate debuts, and junior Roberto Suppa earned his first collegiate victory in Game 2. The Big Red's pitchers held the Patriots to three hits in each of the seven-inning games.
 
Cornell returns to Ivy League action this weekend with a Saturday doubleheader at Yale and another twinbill Sunday at Brown.
 
Game 1: GEORGE MASON 2, CORNELL 1 | Box Score
The Big Red was held hitless until junior Spencer Scorza's single in the fifth inning – the only blemish on the record for Mason starter Jake Kalish. Trailing 2-0, Cornell got on the board against reliever Tyler Zombro in the sixth. Junior JD Whetsel hit a one-out single, then stole second. Senior Tom D'Alessandro followed with a walk. Senior Ryan Plantier then drove in Whetsel with a two-out base hit to right. D'Alessandro advanced to second on the play, but was stranded there on a flyout to end the threat.
 
After Soltis worked a scoreless sixth inning, the Big Red got the tying run on base in the top of the seventh with senior Jimmy Sikorski reaching on an error, but Mason closer Mark Maksimow induced a game-ending groundout from the next batter.
 
Willittes held the Patriots scoreless through the first four innings before running into trouble in the fifth. He was replaced with two runners on, who both came around to score on a double by Blaise Fernandez.
 
Game 2: CORNELL 3, GEORGE MASON 2 | Box Score
Senior Ben Swinford was 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI. He led off the third inning with a double down the line in left field. Sophomore Collin McGee advanced Swinford to third with a sacrifice bunt, then Whetsel drove him in with a sacrifice fly to left.
 
Once again, the Big Red starter – this time Suppa, in his first start of the season – kept the Patriots off the board through four innings. Cornell then pushed its lead to three runs in the top of the fifth. Junior Kevin Tatum led off with a walk, then he stole second base. Swinford followed with an RBI single and advanced to second on the throw home. Again, McGee followed with a bunt to move Swinford to third. Senior Tom D'Alessandro then plated Swinford with a two-out single to right-center.
 
Mason got on the board in the fifth inning after a pair of walks sandwiched around a double loaded the bases with no outs. Working both ends of the doubleheader, Soltis again emerged from the bullpen and got the first out of the inning, though a run scored on the play. The next batter hit a groundball that Swinford snagged from his from his post at third base, then he threw home for McGee to apply the tag and cut down a potential second run. The next batter walked, once again loading the bases, before Soltis ended the threat by getting a flyout.
 
The Patriots pushed a second run across in the sixth when Tucker Tobin hit a one-out double, advanced to third on a wild pitch, then scored on an error. Junior closer Kellen Urbon then came on to record the final four outs of the game in order for his second save of the season.