ITHACA, N.Y. — Junior Will Simoneit had four hits in the first game and senior Dale Wickham roped a big two-run double in the second game, but the baseball team was left with a split of Saturday's doubleheader against Columbia at Hoy Field. Cornell (14-21-1, 9-11 Ivy League) won a 14-2 rout in the opener before falling, 3-2, in dramatic fashion in the night cap. By salvaging one victory, Columbia (17-27, 12-8) kept alive its postseason hopes heading into the teams' series finale at 1 p.m. Sunday.
 
Game 1: CORNELL 14, COLUMBIA 2
The Big Red erased an early two-run deficit by plating 14 over a three-inning stretch. Six different batters had multiple hits and five had multiple RBI. Sophomore Matt Collins drove in four with a double and a triple, and Simoneit hit singles in four consecutive innings.
                         
Senior Tim Willittes earned the victory with an effort befitting his last collegiate start. Columbia took an early 2-0 lead, but Willittes effectively limited the damage – leaving the bases loaded in the second – before rallying his next times through the order. Willittes' final line included 6 2/3 innings and four strikeouts, allowing him to even his record at 4-4.
 
The Big Red finally broke through with a five-run fifth, keyed by some aggressive baserunning. Simoneit was waved home from second on a double by sophomore Kaleb Lepper, and junior Josh Arndt tied the game by scoring from third on a contact play during Collins' grounder. Senior Ryan Krainz laced a single to center that scored the go-ahead run, and senior Kyle Gallagher's double drove in two more.
 
Arndt then drove in two with a double in the sixth, and the Big Red broke the game wide open with six runs in the seventh. Senior Trey Baur had a two-run single to start the surge, and Collins' triple to left-center plated another pair.
 
Game 2: COLUMBIA 3, CORNELL 2
Columbia starter Harrisen Egly was terrific, striking out nine while surrendering just four hits and one walk when he was removed with two outs in the eighth. The Lions had built a 2-0 lead by that point, though Lepper stood on second base after a lead-off infield single.
 
The Lions then turned to closer Lucas Hall, who walked Gallagher before getting ahead 0-2 on Wickham. The Big Red's designated hitter then turned on the next pitch for a double down the line in right. Lepper scored easily, and a slight bobble from the right fielder allowed Gallagher to score all the way from first to tie the game at 2.
 
But Columbia's leadoff batter, A.J. DiFillipo, reached on an error in the ninth, then moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Sophomore Andrew Ellison struck out the next batter, but an infield single and a gutsy decision on the base paths led to the go-ahead run scoring.
 
Ben Porter hit a ball up the middle that was snagged by the shortstop, but it resulted in an infield single when he beat out the shortstop's throw to first. DiFillipo was waved around third the whole way, and he beat the wild throw home.
 
Cornell put one last charge into the game, with Arndt being hit by a one-out pitch. He advanced to second on a wild pitch and alerty tagged up to take third on Lepper's lineout to center. Collins then hit a towering shot that sailed over the foul pole in left, only to be ruled just foul by the umpire. The next pitch was a called third strike.