WEST LIBERTY – Cornell baseball team, picked as the MWC pre-season favorite, started off the season in style with a doubleheader sweep of St. Norbert. Cornell won the opener 6-3, before taking the nightcap 13-3 in seven innings at West Liberty.
 
Senior Vince Tinajero started the opener for the Rams (2-0) going 4.2 inning, striking out seven.
 
Sophomore Lucas Brutsche had an impressive outing in relief, giving up no hits over the last 4.1 inning to pick up the win over the Green Knights (0-2). Brutsche allowed no runs and had four strikeouts.
 
Cornell was led by senior catcher Esteban Perez going 2-for-4 with two doubles, scoring a run and adding an RBI. Thomas Hunt went 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs.
 
Junior transfer Joseph Lomeli joined Vince Zipperer and Ryan Weaver with two hits apiece. The Rams scored their six runs on 11 hits.
 
The Rams took control of the nightcap early scoring seven runs over the first three innings. Cornell finished the game with four runs in the seventh to take the win.
 
Cornell was led at the plate by Weaver 3-for-3, with three runs and two RBIs. Cade Parks went 3-for-5, scoring two runs and drove in three runs. Perez and Zipperer collected two hits apiece.
 
Hunt started game two for the Rams going 4.2 innings, giving up only three runs and striking out six. Kaleb Whaley picked up the win in relief, giving up no runs over the last 2.1 innings.
 
Coming up – The Rams take on Central in a doubleheader Sunday. First game begins at 12 p.m. in West Liberty.