TOWSON, Md. — Senior Ryan Porter hit two home runs and drove in eight runs, matching Cornell baseball's single-game record for RBI, as the Big Red (4-6) secured a split of Saturday's doubleheader against Towson (6-13) with an 18-7 run-rule-shortened victory at John B. Schuerholtz Park.
 
After losing Saturday's opener, 6-5, on a two-out, RBI single, Cornell's offense clicked on all cylinders, registering season-highs for runs (18) and hits (20).
 
GAME ONE RECAP
Brady Nathison's two-out, walk-off RBI single helped Towson post a 6-5 victory over Cornell in the opening game of Saturday's doubleheader at John B. Schuerholz Park.
 
Towson's heart of the order went a combined 7-for-14 at the plate, sparked by three-hit games by Taye Robinson and Max D'Alessandro. Robinson, the Tigers' No. 5 hitter, hit two home runs and drove in four RBI, while D'Alessandro, the No. 3 hitter, also drove in a Tigers run. The rest of the Tigers' lineup collectively went 3-for-21.
 
Max Simpson allowed two runs and scattered three hits over his six-inning start for the Tigers, walking two Cornell batters and striking out three. Nate Nabholtz earned his second win of the season after pitching the final two innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on one hit, issuing two free passes, and fanned four.
 
Sophomore catcher Mark Quatrani led Cornell's offense, going 1-for-3 with a home run and three RBI. Senior infielder Max Jensen had the other RBI for Cornell.
 
Junior right-handed pitcher Carson Mayfield turned in another impressive performance on the mound, allowing two runs on three hits over 4.2 innings. He struck out five batters – matching his season-high – while issuing a walk and hitting two batters. Freshman right-hander John Hegarty was charged with the loss after being responsible for the game-winning run.
 
Cornell scored first in the third inning on a sacrifice fly by Jensen, which brought sophomore third baseman Luke Johnson home all the way from second base.
 
Robinson tied the game with a leadoff home run in the fourth inning, followed by an RBI single from D'Alessandro that gave Towson a 2-1 lead in the fifth inning.
 
After a one-out triple to the right-center field gap by Jensen in the sixth inning, Cornell tied the game on an RBI groundout by Quatrani.
 
In the seventh inning, Robinson reclaimed the lead for Towson, putting the Tigers up 5-2, with his second home run of the game, smashing a 1-1 pitch for a three-run blast.
 
Towson's lead would not last long as Cornell responded with a three-run eighth inning to tie the game at 5-all. Quatrani trimmed the Tigers' lead to 5-4 with a two-run home run following a leadoff walk drawn by Jensen. Sophomore shortstop Kevin Hager drew a walk after Quatrani's home run and would round the bases without the benefit of a base hit, advancing to third base on a failed pickoff attempt and then scoring on a wild pitch.
 
After Brett Ahalt drew a two-out walk in the bottom of the ninth that put runners on first and second, Nathison secured Towson's victory with his two-out, walk-off RBI single.
 
GAME TWO RECAP
Senior designated hitter Ryan Porter recorded his first career multi-home run game and drove in eight RBI to aid Cornell to its 18-7 run-rule victory over Towson to secure the split of Saturday's doubleheader.
 
Porter, who went 4-for-6, matched sophomore outfielder Caden Wildman's eight-RBI performance last year against Penn for the program record for RBI in a game. The multi-home run game was Cornell's second of the season, joined by senior infielder Max Jensen in the nightcap of the March 1 doubleheader against UMBC.
 
All nine Big Red starters recorded a base hit, with seven having multi-hit performances. Sophomore shortstop Kevin Hager (3-for-5, double, home run, RBI) and senior Kyle Musser (3-for-5, double, RBI) each had three-hit games. Eight of the nine starters scored at least one run, highlighted by Hager, Porter, and senior center fielder Jakobi Davis (2-for-4) each crossing home plate on three occasions.
 
Junior left-handed pitcher Noah Keller was the winning pitcher for Cornell after tossing 3.2 innings of relief of sophomore left-hander Huxley Holcombe. Keller allowed one run on two hits while walking three and striking out four. Holcombe gave up six runs on eight hits in 4.1 innings with three walks and three strikeouts.
 
Max D'Alessandro drove in six of the Towson's seven runs after going 3-for-5 with a double and two home runs. Jordan Peyton also had a three-hit game for the Tigers.
 
Cornell chased Towson's starting pitcher, Andrew Luczak, out of the game after two-plus innings of work, conceding five runs on eight hits. Luczak had entered the game allowing 10 hits and five runs across five outings on the season.

Musser drove in the first run with a first-inning RBI double and was followed by Quatrani being hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the second. A three-run third inning featured Musser scoring on a balk before Porter hit the first of his two home runs, which gave the Big Red a 5-0 advantage.
 
Towson trimmed the Big Red lead to one, 5-4, with a third-inning grand slam by D'Alessandro, but the Big Red upped its lead to 8-4 behind solo home runs by Jensen and Musser in the fourth inning and an RBI groundout by senior outfielder John Quinlan in the fifth inning.
 
An RBI double by D'Alessandro and RBI infield single by Taye Robinson cut Cornell's advantage to two before a seven-run sixth inning gave the Big Red to take a commanding 15-4 lead. Porter's second home run — which came on a grand slam — sparked Cornell's salvo and was followed by an RBI triple from Quinlan and a successful double-steal between Jensen and Quinlan.

After D'Alessandro hit a leadoff home run in the seventh, Cornell posted three more runs, with the first two coming off the bat of Porter with a base hit to center field.
 
GAME NOTES
• Saturday was the fifth and sixth times Cornell and Towson had met on the baseball diamond. Following the doubleheader split, the series remains even at 3-3. Despite the even records, Cornell has outscored Towson by 18 runs over the six games, 61-43.
 
• Cornell's 18-run outburst in the latter game was its highest run total since defeating Penn, 18-11, last year on April 13. It was also Cornell's first time registering at least 20 hits in a game since last May 4 when it lost to Brown in 10 innings, 13-12.
 
• The four home runs hit in the second game were Cornell's most round-trippers since last May 1 against Binghamton in a 13-7 win. 

• Jensen extended his on-base streak to 28 games after hitting a sixth-inning triple in the opening game and a single in the first inning of the nightcap. Jensen has hits in 27 of his last 28 games, including his previous seven games.
 
• Jensen's multi-hit game in the nightcap was his 40th career game with two-plus base knocks.
 
• Quinlan upped his hit streak to seven games and has reached base in his last 18 games, dating back to last season, after notching hits in both contests.
 
• Porter's home run was his first since April 28, 2023, against Penn in the second-ever series played at Booth Field.
 
UP NEXT
Cornell and Towson will conclude their three-game series from John B. Schuerholz Park on Sunday. Due to the threat of thunderstorms in the afternoon, the rubber match has been pushed forward an hour to noon. Game action will be broadcast on FloBaseball.tv.

Senior right-handed pitcher Chris Ellison (0-2, 11.05 ERA) will take the ball for the Big Red. Towson's starter has yet to be announced.