MONMOUTH, Ill. – Cornell squandered an early 5-0 lead and gave up an unearned run in the bottom of the 10th inning in Tuesday's tough 6-5 Midwest Conference baseball loss to Monmouth at Glasgow Field.
 
The extra-inning setback moves the Rams (18-14 overall, 9-9 MWC) into fifth place in a congested league race with two huge series remaining against first-place Beloit (15-3 MWC) and second-place Ripon (12-5 MWC).
 
Monmouth (14-19 overall, 9-12 MWC) rallied for five runs in the fifth to even the game at 5-5. The score stood until the 10th, when the Fighting Scots loaded the bases with nobody out on a walk, a fielder's choice and throwing error, followed by an intentional walk.
 
The Fighting Scots then completed the comeback with a walk-off single to win the game.
 
Darren Mancke and Josiah Shaw both homered for the Rams, who left nine runners on base. Mancke went 2-for-3, highlighted by a solo homer to lead off the game. It was the second home run in as many at-bats for Mancke, who hit an inside-the-parker in Sunday's final plate appearance against Chicago.
 
Shaw connected on a two-run blast in the fourth that sprung the Rams ahead 5-0. It was Shaw's first round-tripper of the spring.
 
Vince Zipperer collected two hits and scored a run. James Kent had an RBI triple that extended his hitting streak to 10 games.  
 
Cornell ace Kole Hinrichsen (5-2) took the no decision, allowing six hits and four earned runs over seven innings. The senior fanned two Monmouth batters, moving him within one strikeout of Ryan Rosenberg's single-season school record of 75, set in 2004.
 
Daulton Montagna worked the final two innings in relief. He gave up two hits and the one unearned run.
 
Coming up – The Rams have a chance to gain ground in the league race with a three-game set ahead against first-place Beloit (23-10 overall). The teams play a doubleheader at 12 p.m. Saturday in Beloit, Wis., followed by a single game at 12 p.m. Sunday in Mount Vernon.