LEWISBURG, Pa. – Junior Michael Byrne struck out 11 batters in Game 1 and senior Spencer Scorza drove in four runs in Game 2, but the baseball team was swept in a Sunday doubleheader by Bucknell, 2-1 and 8-7, at Depew Field.
 
Senior Kevin Tatum had three hits on the day, giving him hits in seven of the last eight games to boost his batting average to a team-best .333. Cornell (3-11) won once in the four-game series against Bucknell (12-7), the reigning Patriot League champion and 31-game winner last season. All three of the Bison's victories on the weekend were by a one-run margin, dropping the Big Red to 1-8 on the season in games decided by just one run.
 
The Big Red is scheduled to open the home portion of its schedule at 2 p.m. Tuesday against Albany, which is the team's final non-league tuneup before Ivy League play starts next weekend.
 
Game 1: BUCKNELL 2, CORNELL 1 (Box Score)
The Big Red doubled up the host in hits, 8-4, but it ultimately couldn't solve Bison starter Andrew Andreychik.
 
Meanwhile, Byrne became the first Big Red pitcher to reach double-digits in strikeouts since senior Brian McAfee fanned 10 on March 11, 2012 at George Washington, and the first to record 11 strikeouts since Corey Pappel on April 29, 2009 in a divisional playoff game against Princeton.
 
For the ninth consecutive game, Cornell scored a run in the first two innings to take an early lead. This time, the Big Red pushed junior Jordan Winawer across the plate in the first inning after he and sophomore Tommy Wagner led off the game with a pair singles. With two out and runners on the corners, Tatum drove in Winawer with a single to right-center.
 
Armed with the lead, Byrne set the tone for his outing by striking out the side in the bottom of the first — all on swinging third strikes. The big southpaw set down the Bison 1-2-3 in five of his six innings, but the home side was able to do enough damage in the fourth inning to scratch out a win. Joe Ogren's plated Brett Smith with a one-out double to tie the game, then he scored the eventual winning run on Spencer Stokes' two-out single through the left side of the infield.
 
Cornell immediately threatened to rally in the top of the fifth, with sophomore Frankie Padulo leading off with a bunt single. He then stole second base and advanced to third on a flyout, but he was stranded there. Padulo and Wagner were both 2-for-3 in the game. Sophomore Jamie Smith then hit a one-out double to left in the top of the seventh, but Andreychik wrapped up his complete game with a grounder for the second out and his seventh strikeout.
 
Game 2: BUCKNELL 8, CORNELL 7 (Box Score)
The Big Red scored five runs in the third inning to erase an early 3-0 deficit, but the Bison countered with four runs in the fifth inning and kept the visitors at arm's length the rest of the way.
 
Bucknell drew five walks in the first two innings to chase Cornell's starter and take a three-run lead, but Eric Upton emerged from the bullpen to induce a groundball with the bases loaded to retire the side and set the stage for a Big Red rally.
 
Cornell batted around in the third, with most of the damage coming after junior Collin McGee hit an RBI groundout to score freshman Dale Wickham from third. That turned the order over with two out, and Winawer walked and moved to second on an error. Wagner's hard-hit ball to the right side of the infield led to another error, and senior Ryan Karl followed with a walk to load the bases. Scorza then stroked a two-run single to tie the game, and Tatum and freshman Trey Baur followed with RBI singles to give Cornell a 5-3 lead.
 
The Big Red threatened to extend the lead in the top of the fourth when it had runners on the corners with two out, but the Bison's Anthony Gingerelli made a diving catch in right field on a ball hit by Wagner to keep the home side close.
 
Bucknell surged ahead for good in the fifth, stringing together three singles to load the bases with no out. A hit-by-pitch plated the first run, and a throwing error allowed the tying run to score and kept the bases loaded.
 
Sophomore Paul Balestrieri was summoned to make his team-leading seventh appearance in relief, and he induced the double play the Big Red was looking for — but it also allowed the go-ahead run to score. A base hit up the middle then drove in Bucknell's seventh run.
 
Scorza drove in runs in the seventh and ninth innings, pulling the Big Red to within one on each occasion. But on both occasions, Cornell would strand the tying run in scoring position.