MOUNT VERNON – Cornell's baseball team played its way back into the Midwest Conference Tournament hunt this weekend, taking two of three games from title-contending Chicago at Ash Park Field.
 
Following Saturday's 3-2 walk-off victory, the Rams clinched the series win with an 11-7 Game 1 triumph Sunday. Chicago won Sunday's second game, 21-2 in seven innings.
 
The Rams (12-20 overall, 7-10 MWC) are two games back in the loss column to fourth-place Beloit with still seven league games remaining. Chicago (18-10 overall) stands second at 13-5 in the MWC.
 
James Kent powered Cornell's 13-hit attack in the opener, going 2-for-5 with two extra-base hits, four runs and six RBIs. The junior shortstop got the Rams rolling in the second inning, blasting a two-out grand slam over the right-field wall to put Cornell ahead 6-0. It was Kent's fourth home run of the season.
 
After Chicago charged back to tie it at 7-7, the Rams answered with two runs in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI grounder by Kent and an RBI double from Drew Logel.
 
Cornell reliever Chad Dzierba retired the Maroons in order in the seventh and eighth innings, striking out two. Carter Kriegel worked a scoreless ninth. Freshman Vince Zipperer (1-0) collected his first collegiate pitching win in relief.  
 
Logel went 2-for-5 with two RBIs. Kale Rose, Josiah Shaw and Darren Mancke added two hits apiece.
 
The Maroons ran away with Game 2 in which they outhit Cornell, 22-6. Chicago had six extra-base hits, including a pair of homers.
 
Easton Jensen put Cornell on the scoreboard with a solo homer to straight-away center in the bottom of the sixth. It was the first collegiate homer for the senior outfielder.
 
Jacob Henderson also had an RBI hit in the sixth.
 
The Rams are home Wednesday for a single nine-inning game at 6 p.m. against Monmouth (12-18 overall, 6-11 MWC).