MONMOUTH, Ill. – Cornell scored 22 times and blasted six home runs in Sunday's doubleheader split with defending Midwest Conference baseball champion Beloit at Glasgow Field.
The Rams (9-6 overall, 1-2 MWC) went deep four times – including a pair of homers by
Sean Alvarez – in the 9-7 Game 1 victory. Beloit (9-5 overall, 2-1 MWC) prevailed in a 16-13 slugfest in Game 2.
Cornell dropped Saturday's opening game of the series, 6-1.
The Rams powered their way to Sunday's opening win with seven extra-base hits. Alvarez had himself a game with two homers, a double, three runs and three RBIs.
Kale Rose singled, doubled, homered and scored twice.
Seth Beals went 2-for-5 with a home run.
Cornell went ahead to stay with a four-run fifth inning, keyed by
Esteban Perez's double that scored a pair. Perez finished with three RBIs in the contest.
Junior
Kaleb Whaley (3-1) pitched five strong innings in relief to earn the win. The right-hander allowed four hits and two runs while fanning six.
The offensive-filled nightcap witnessed 29 total hits and 39 players used between the two teams. Freshman
Cade Parks led Cornell's 15-hit attack, going 4-for-5 with three RBIs.
Colin Whelan was 3-for-6 with a double, homer, three runs and two RBIs.
Rose connected for his fourth homer of the season, tying Alvarez for team-high honors. Rose collected two hits, three runs and three RBIs. Beals doubled twice and Perez also had two hits for the Rams.
Rose and Whelan belted back-to-back homers in the top of the seventh as Cornell pulled within 11-9. The Buccaneers regained control with three consecutive homers in the bottom of the seventh, giving them enough cushion in the end.
Coming up – The Rams host Lawrence (11-6 overall, 3-0 MWC) for a three-game MWC home series next weekend. The teams play a single game at 5 p.m. Friday, followed by a 12 p.m. doubleheader Saturday.
