ITHACA, N.Y. — Monday was the story of two rallies for the baseball team. While the first one came up short in a 5-4 loss to start the day, the Big Red exploded for seven runs in the eighth inning of the nightcap to surge to a 10-6 victory and earn a split of the Ivy League doubleheader.
 
Sophomore Frankie Padulo was 3-for-3 with an RBI double in the opener, then freshman Ellis Bitar was 3-for-4 with two doubles and three RBIs in the second game for Cornell (6-12, 3-1 Ivy).
 
In a rare off day from the Big Red's starting pitchers, the bullpen came through with 10 innings of effective work and just three runs surrendered to Brown (6-14, 2-2).
 
A busy stretch for the Big Red continues with a quick trip to the Mid-Atlantic region for a pair of non-league games. Cornell takes on Richmond at 3 p.m. Tuesday and Towson at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday.
 
Game 1: BROWN 5, CORNELL 4 (Box Score)
Sophomore Frankie Padulo was 3-for-3 with a run-scoring double and the Big Red outhit the Bears, 12-8, but the home side's rally would ultimately fall just short.
 
Brown jumped on top in the second inning with four runs, three of which were unearned. With two on and no out, the pitcher opted to try to get the lead runner out on a bunt, but the throw sailed wide of third base and set up the big inning.
 
Sophomore Peter Lannoo shined in relief for Cornell, tossing three scoreless innings with three strikeouts. He entered the game after Brown extended its lead to five runs in the fourth inning with runners on the corners and one out, but he got out of the jam by inducing an inning-ending double play from senior Kevin Tatum at third base, turned by sophomore second baseman Tommy Wagner.
 
Cornell's rally began in the bottom of the fourth. Senior Spencer Scorza led off with a single, then senior Ryan Karl doubled to put two runners in scoring position with no out. Wagner's groundout scored Scorza, then senior Dan Morris followed with a single to left to put runners on the corners. Senior Matt Hall hit what appeared to be a double-play ball to second base, but the relay throw from the shortstop pulled the first baseman off the bag. That allowed Karl to score and kept the inning alive, with Padulo's subsequent double plating Morris and cutting the Big Red deficit to 5-3.
 
Tatum and Scorza hit back-to-back singles to start off the bottom of the fifth, then Karl battled back from an 0-2 count to pull a base hit into right field and load the bases with no out. While the Big Red was able to score a run on a double play to pull within one, the threat ended with a flyout to center field.
 
Seniors JD Whetsel, Scorza, Karl and Morris had two hits apiece in the game.
 
Game 2: CORNELL 10, BROWN 6 (Box Score)
Down 6-3 entering the bottom of the eighth inning with dusk setting in, the Big Red drew three straight walks to immediately load the bases. Tatum was then hit by a pitch with one out to drive in a run, and Scorza followed with a two-run single to left to tie the game. After Karl drew a walk to reload the bases, Wagner drove in the winning run with a sacrifice fly deep into the gap in left-center, scoring pinch runner Eason Recto from third base.
 
Bitar provided insurance with a billowing double to the warning track in right field. Brown's rightfielder tried to make an over-the-shoulder catch, but the ball bounced off his glove and cleared the bases to push the Big Red's new-found lead to four runs. Sophomore closer Paul Balestrieri then worked a scoreless ninth inning in a non-save situation.
 
Sophomore Ray Brewer earned his first career victory with 2.2 innings of scoreless relief. Freshman Justin Lewis worked his second game of the day, bridging the gap between the starter's departure in the third inning and Brewer's emergence in the sixth.
 
For the second straight game, Cornell fell into a five-run hole after Brown took a 6-1 lead in the top of the sixth. But the Big Red pulled back within three in bottom of the inning. With the bases loaded and two out, Winawer hit a ground ball to short that ended up scoring two runs when the shortstop bounced the throw past the first baseman. Tatum then followed by hitting a towering shot to right field that got hung up in the wind before being tracked down on the warning track for the third out.