ITHACA, N.Y. — Senior Adam Saks not only extended his hitting streak to six straight games, he also delivered the baseball team's first four-hit performance of the season on Tuesday in an 8-1 victory over St. Bonaventure in the Big Red's home opener at Hoy Field.
 
Cornell (6-13) pounded out 12 hits for the third time in the last six games, and it got a gem from freshman starter Luke Yacinich. Just his third collegiate start featuring six scoreless innings in which he struck out a season-high six batters while yielding just a pair of singles.
 
The run support started early, sparked by at the top of the lineup by Saks – who has converted to the everyday role in center field after pitching primarily out of the bullpen for his first three years on East Hill. He scored the first run on a sacrifice lineout by sophomore Ramon Garza, then his punch single through the right side of the infield on a hit-and-run plated Nicholas Binnie in the second inning. Two more runs followed in the next frame, and Cornell built a 4-0 lead with seven hits through just three innings.
 
The only player to give Yacinich any trouble was Sam Fuller, the leadoff hitter for St. Bonaventure (5-13). Fuller worked the Bonnies' lone to two walks of the day and legged out a quirky infield single in the sixth, then stole second base three times. But with the rest of the St. Bonaventure lineup going a combined 1-for-19 against Yacinich, no damage was done. A diving catch on a line drive into the gap in right-center by Garza in the sixth inning also played a part, saving a run.
 
Senior Will Simoneit hit a run-scoring double in the sixth to extend Cornell's lead to 5-0 before St. Bonaventure scratched out its lone run against the first Big Red reliever in the seventh.
 
The Big Red then blew the game open with three more in the eighth. A Binnie single was followed by a pinch-hit walk from sophomore Jason Apostle, then Saks laid down a perfect bunt for a base hit that load the bases. Flematti lined a base hit to right-center to drive in two, then Simoneit grounded into a fielder's choice for his second RBI, plating Saks.
 
Binnie finished the day 2-for-4 with a double and pair of runs scored. He's now 8-for-17 (.471) over his last six games.
 
Sophomore Trevor Daniel Davis worked two scoreless innings to finish the game, fanning three.
 
Cornell continues its busy Spring Break week with a non-league game at 3 p.m. Wednesday at Army West Point.