CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Sophomore Will Simoneit had three doubles, juniors Ryan Krainz and Kyle Gallagher had three-hit games, and junior Pierre Le Dorze blasted a two-run home run to highlight the baseball team's doubleheader split with Harvard on Saturday at O'Donnell Field.
 
Cornell (12-10, 2-4 Ivy League) had three leads in the first game, but eventually suffered a 7-5 loss before using an offensive barrage early in the second game to rebound with a 9-5 win over Harvard (12-13, 1-5).
 
The Big Red concludes the Red Rolfe Division portion of its Ivy League schedule Sunday with a doubleheader at Dartmouth starting at noon.
 
Game 1: HARVARD 7, CORNELL 5 (Box Score)
The Crimson batted around in the sixth to score three runs and pull ahead for good after Cornell senior starter Tim Willittes left in line for a win after seven strikeouts in five innings of work.
 
The Big Red brought the potential go-ahead run to the plate with no out in the top of the seventh after back-to-back singles from senior Tommy Wagner and junior Trey Baur. Senior Cole Rutherford worked a one-out walk to load the bases before the Crimson induced its second strikeout of the frame. That brought Gallagher up, and he beautifully lined a 2-2 pitch toward the opposite field — but 6-foot-6 Harvard first baseman Patrick McColl made a spectacular reaching catch on a dive to his right to end the game and prevent what would have most likely been a game-tying base hit.
 
Le Dorze got the Big Red on the board in the fourth inning. Rutherford blooped a one-out single to left, then Le Dorze jumped on the first pitch of his at-bat and delievered a monster two-run home run to right field.
 
After Harvard tied the game at 2, Cornell pulled back ahead in the fifth. Simoneit doubled to left and moved up to third on a wild pitch on ball four to Krainz. Wagner then drove in Simoneit with a sacrifice fly to right, and the Big Red held a 3-2 lead.
 
The Crimson then took its first lead with two runs in the fifth, but Cornell stormed back ahead with two runs in the sixth. Rutherford led off with a walk and moved up to second on a groundout. Senior Frankie Padulo then laced a single down the line in left, driving in Rutherford to tie the game at 4. The throw from left field toward second base was wild, allowing Padulo to move into position to score the go-ahead run on Simoneit's second double of the game.
 
Game 2: CORNELL 9, HARVARD 5 (Box Score)
The Big Red used a five-run third inning to take the lead, ultimately tagging the Crimson's starter for all nine of its runs.
 
Krainz and Wagner led off the third with singles, then both scored on Baur's double to left-center — extending Baur's hitting streak to nine games. Le Dorze followed with an RBI double, and Cornell staved off Harvard the rest of the way.
 
Simoneit's third double of the day drove in two, then Wagner worked a bases-loaded walk to plate the visitors' last run of the day in the fifth.
 
Harvard scattered 15 hits, but Big Red pitchers kept the damage minimal by only surrendering one extra-base hit (a double) and issuing no walks. Junior Justin Lewis earned his first victory of the season, scratching his way through five innings.
 
Senior Jamie Flynn was solid in middle relief, then senior Peter Lannoo slammed the door to close it out for his team-leading fourth save. He entered the game with the bases loaded and one out in the eighth, but he induced a foulout and a strikeout to end the threat and worked a quiet ninth.