NORMAL, Ill. – Cornell opened a new baseball season with a pair of neutral-site losses to American Rivers Conference foe Luther – 12-3 and 11-1 – Saturday afternoon at the Corn Crib.

Cornell's Caleb Sass (SR/Iowa City, Iowa) drew a leadoff walk and came around to score the first run of the doubleheader in the top of the first inning. Luther responded with three runs in its initial at-bat and didn't trail again the rest of the day.

Outfielders Zach Stone (SR/Coralville, Iowa) and Joe Sarnello (SR/Hoffman Estates, Ill.) led Cornell's lineup with two hits apiece in the opener. Sarnello singled home a pair of runs in the sixth. Ian Renger (SR/Bloomingdale, Ill.) had the team's lone extra-base hit, a double.

Luther tallied 15 hits against four Cornell pitchers in Game 1. Starter Cameron Anfang (SR/Sullivan, Wis.) gave up eight runs and struck out four in 3.1 innings. Kole Hinrichsen (SO/Washington, Iowa) tossed one scoreless inning in relief.

The seven-inning nightcap saw the Norse (2-0) build a 9-0 lead through three. The Rams committed three errors in the game that led to five unearned runs.

Sass went 3-for-4 from the leadoff spot. Jeremy Canfield (SR/Downers Grove, Ill.) had two hits, including an RBI double in the seventh. Stone also had a double.

Sophomore left-hander Will Miller (SO/Littleton, Colo.) had a strong 2021 debut on the mound, firing three hitless innings in relief. Jake Schope (SO/Littleton, Colo.) and Chad Dzierba (SO/Valparaiso, Ind.) each pitched one inning, neither allowing an earned run.

Luther scored six earned runs off Cornell starter Tyler Lederhos (SR/Aurora, Colo.), who struck out three over two innings.

Coming up – The Rams play a neutral-site game against A-R-C preseason favorite Coe at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Mount Mercy's Plaster Athletic Complex in Cedar Rapids.