WINTER PARK, Fla. — Junior Tommy Wagner and sophomore Dale Wickham each had a pair of three-hit games, but the baseball team closed out the month with a pair of losses to Rollins on Wednesday at Alfond Stadium. The Big Red's rally in Game 1 came up short in a 6-5 setback, then Rollins (17-13) rolled from start to finish in a 13-5 victory in the night cap.
 
Freshman Mark Fraser had both his first collegiate hit and his first collegiate home run over the two games. Sophomore Ellis Bitar also extended his hitting streak to seven games.
 
Cornell (6-9) concurrently opens its home and Ivy League schedules this weekend with doubleheaders against Harvard on Saturday and Dartmouth on Sunday.
 
Game 1: ROLLINS 6, CORNELL 5 (Box Score)
Wagner and Wickham were both 3-for-4, with Wagner smashing his second home run of the season and Wickham driving in three runs.
 
Wagner staked Cornell to an early lead with a one-out solo home run to left field in the top of the first inning. Rollins countered with a two-run homer of its own in the bottom of the first, but the Big Red took the lead again in the top of the third. With two out and the bases loaded, Wickham hit a ground ball that had eyes through the left side of the infield, plating two runs for a 3-2 lead. Bitar followed with an ominous line drive, but Rollins' centerfielder made a diving grab to end the threat. The Tars then stormed back ahead with four runs in the bottom of the frame, capped by a two-run single up the middle with one out.
 
Junior Jamie Flynn was the first reliever out of the bullpen for Cornell, delivering a strong three scoreless and hitless innings to keep the game close. Cornell started to chip away with an unearned run, when Wickham's two-out single plated Wagner for his third run of the game. Bitar followed with a single and junior C.J. Price was hit by a pitch to load the bases, but the threat ended with a popout.
 
Wickham then started one last Cornell rally in the seventh with a one-out doubled laced into the gap in left-center. Bitar worked a walk to put the tying run on base before a loud second out of the inning near the warning track in right. Fraser then drove in Wickham with his first collegiate hit, cutting the Big Red's deficit to one run before the game's final out came on a well-hit ball to right-center.
 
Game 2: ROLLINS 13, CORNELL 5 (Box Score)
Wagner and Wickham once again had three hits apiece, but Fraser had the Big Red's biggest offensive jolt with a three-run homer to left in the seventh inning to score Wagner and sophomore Griffin Tutun, who entered the game as a pinch runner.
 
Wagner drove in Cornell's first run with a single in the third, then senior Jacob Weston drove in the second with a groundout in the sixth after Fraser led off with a walk and Wickham doubled.
 
The Tars pounded out 17 hits and scored nine of its runs in the first three innings to bust the game open. Three of the Big Red's eight pitchers — junior Austin Wahl and freshmen Parker Morris and Austin Arnold — were making their collegiate debut from the mound.