Box Score (PDF)

RICHMOND, Va. — Sophomore Josh Arndt hit a two-run double in the second inning, and the baseball team's pitching trio of seniors Paul Balestrieri, Matt Horton and Peter Lannoo made the lead stand up in a 2-1 victory over Michigan State during the Spider Invitational on Sunday at the Pitt Field.
 
For a third straight weekend to open the season, Cornell (6-3) won two of its three games. Balestrieri has been the anchor on each Sunday, improving to 3-0 on the year after surrendering just one run while working into the eighth inning. He worked out of a bases-loaded jam by inducing an inning-ending flyout in the third, and he also stranded runners at third in the first and fourth.
 
The Big Red took the lead after junior Dale Wickham was hit by a pitch to lead off the second. Junior Trey Baur later hit a one-out single, then Arndt drove them both in with a two-bagger down the line in left.
 
Michigan State (11-5) pushed across its lone run in the sixth after a leadoff triple and walk allowed the lead runner to come plateward on a groundball double play. The Spartans then threatened again in the eighth after Balestrieri departed with two on and one out.
 
Making his third appearance in as many days, Horton worked around a walk to load the bases by getting a pair of swinging strikeouts to escape unscathed. Lannoo earned his second save of the season by negotiating the ninth inning.
 
Baur was 3-for-4 at the plate, and senior Frankie Padulo and junior Ryan Krainz each had a pair of singles from the bottom of the order.
 
Up next for Cornell is a four-game series next weekend at Bucknell, when it will play noon doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday.