NEW YORK – Senior Josh Arndt had two of the baseball team's three hits on Saturday, but that's all the Big Red could muster in a 3-0 loss to Columbia in the teams' Ivy League debut. Josh Simpson tossed a shutout for the Lions, fanning seven while issuing just one walk.
 
The biggest threat staged by Cornell (3-10, 0-1 Ivy League) came in the first inning. Arndt's base hit to left was followed by a fielding error that allowed senior Will Simoneit to reach base. The next batter grounded the ball to third base, which was turned into a touch of the bag and a throw across the diamond for a double play. It marked the only time the Big Red had two runners on base.
 
Junior Colby Wyatt, who entered the day leading Ivy League starters with an 1.11 earned run average, had his streak of scoreless innings snapped at 19.1 when the Lions took the lead in the second. Defending Ivy League Championship Series winner Columbia (4-10, 1-0) then drove in a couple more runs with two out in the third and fourth innings, though Wyatt minimized the damage by stranding seven runners over his five frames. Only two of the three runs were earned.
 
Simoneit had the Big Red's other hit, serving a single into right on an 0-2 count in the seventh inning. Senior Adam Saks, making his first collegiate start in center field, worked Cornell's only walk to bring the tying run to the on-deck circle in the ninth. But Simpson struck out the next two batters to end the game.
 
With Saturday's weather cold and blustery, the teams have agreed to just the series schedule to be concluded with a doubleheader on Sunday that starts at 11 a.m.