GAME THREE: CORNELL 7, COLUMBIA 4
ITHACA, N.Y. – Sunday started off rocky for both starting pitchers, Justin Lewis for Cornell and Josh Simpson for Columbia. Cornell’s southpaw gave up one run on two singles and a walk in the first inning while Simpson was able to pitch around two walks unscathed.
The sophomore Lewis settled in fairly nicely following his first inning woes, pitching three consecutive shutout innings. Despite three errors on the day, the Big Red defense came up big in the top of the fourth, as Dale Wickham doubled up Shane Adams at first after a line drive out to center by Columbia junior Will Savage.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Big Red bats awoke with a home run by junior Frankie Padulo, whose towering shot that carried over the left field fence drove in Eliot Lowell and Parker Morris.
However, Columbia came right back in the fifth inning. After giving up a single and walk, Lewis was taken out after 4.1 innings of work with one strikeout, charged with two earned runs and allowing three hits and five walks. Michael Byrne came in relief to pitch to Bartelman. Byrne struggled in game three of the series giving up one earned run on two hits and four walks. Nevertheless, Cornell was down 4-3 heading into the bottom of the fifth.
After a leadoff walk by Ellis Bitar, Cole Rutherford doubled Bitar in to continue a great series for the first baseman. Rutherford’s game included reaching base safely four times with two RBI doubles. Cornell added another two runs to the inning with an RBI single by Mark Fraser and a balk by Columbia pitcher Joe Engel, who came in to relieve Simpson after pitching four innings and failing to record an out in the fifth.
Cornell added another run in the bottom of the sixth to open up a 7-4 lead that would hold. Rob Pannullo recorded a five out save to end the game. — Scott Symons
GAME FOUR: CORNELL 4, COLUMBIA 3
ITHACA, N.Y. – Another rough top of the first seemingly pushed the Big Red beyond the point of no return as the Big Red trailed 3-0 by the time the second inning began.
Fortunately, the Big Red’s defense regrouped and held strong. Despite a rocky start, junior starter Peter Lannoo pitched a solid next six innings before junior Jamie Smith was called up in the seventh.
It took a bit longer for Cornell’s offense to wake up. The Big Red didn’t score a run until senior Jordan Winawer’s sacrifice fly to left field sent freshman Mark Fraser across home. It wasn’t until the seventh inning when the Big Red started scoring again.
The Big Red turned things around during the bottom of the seventh. Fraser doubled to left center to score junior C.J. Price. Two batters later junior Cole Rutherford doubled to left field while senior Marlon Rainville crossed home for the tie. Then sophomore Dale Wickham’s single to center field sent Rutherford home to give the Big Red the 4-3 lead.
Columbia burned through six pitchers. Senior starter Thomas Crispi was replaced after one inning with right-hander Ethan Abrams. Abrams pitched a total of five innings before senior Willis Robbins was called to the plate. Robbins proved too inconsistent and pitched less than an inning before being replaced with sophomore Zach Bahm.
Cornell is back at it on Wednesday with a doubleheader against Dartmouth.–Virginia Norder
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