Box Score (PDF)

FAIRFAX, Va. – All nine Cornell batters had hits by the fifth, including a pair of doubles after senior Cole Rutherford's two-run home run, and the baseball team rolled to a 9-3 victory Sunday to win a three-game series against George Mason at Spuhler Field.
 
Senior Paul Balestrieri earned the victory, surrendering just one run in his fifth and final inning of work after the offense steadily built an eight-run lead. Freshman Jeb Bemiss then worked the final four innings earn his second save.
 
Cornell (4-2) smashed seven doubles against six different pitchers from George Mason (6-10), and Rutherford added the Big Red's first home run of the season. Junior Ellis Bitar had two of Cornell's two-baggers in its second straight rubber-game victory to open the season.
 
Bitar's first double came with one out in the first inning, then he came around to score on senior Tommy Wagner's base hit up the middle. Junior Trey Baur and senior Frankie Padulo strung together one-out singles in the second, then scored on freshman Kaleb Lepper's double to push the lead to 3-0.
 
Padulo scratched out an unorthodox run in the fourth, reaching first after a passed ball accompanied a strikeout. After moving up to second base on a groundout, he came plateward on Bitar's second double.
 
The Big Red then blew the game open in the fifth. After Rutherford's homer, sophomore Josh Arndt and Baur hit back-to-back doubles. Baur then stole third and scored on a single up the middle from junior Ryan Krainz. Krainz then drove in Baur again in the seventh inning for the visitors' final run.
 
Cornell is next in action at the Spider Invitational, where it will take on host Richmond on Friday before neutral-site matchups against Campbell on Saturday and Michigan State on Sunday.