DECATUR, Ill. – After getting shut out in Saturday's opening game, Cornell's baseball team broke out the bats in a big way against No. 27 nationally-ranked Benedictine with 22 hits in an 18-9 slugfest victory at Workman Family Field.
 
The Rams, who fell 7-0 to Hanover earlier in the day, improved to 5-7 on the season. Hanover and Benedictine were both NCAA regional qualifiers and 30-win teams a year ago.
 
Cornell's Kale Rose and Cade Parks both finished a triple shy of hitting for the cycle in the outburst against Benedictine (7-5). Rose went 4-for-6 with five RBIs, highlighted by a two-run homer. Parks tallied three hits and three runs while belting his second homer of the spring.
 
Catcher Esteban Perez finished 4-for-6 with three RBIs and three runs. Leadoff man Ryan Weaver collected three hits, three runs and a pair of RBIs. Zach Garton also enjoyed a three-hit game with two runs and two RBIs.
 
The Rams had nine players register at least one run and one hit in the contest, which was tied 6-6 going into the sixth inning. Cornell forged ahead on an RBI hit by Perez, followed by a two-run homer from Rose.
 
After Benedictine squared the score at 9-9, Cornell pulled away in the top of the seventh with eight runs on seven hits. Rose's two-run double put the Rams on top to stay.  
 
Agustin Velazquez (1-1) fired three innings in relief to earn the victory. He was sixth of seven Cornell pitchers to enter the game. Lucas Brutsche tossed a scoreless ninth inning.
 
In Saturday's opener, freshman starting pitcher Logan Gannon (0-2) breezed through Hanover's lineup with six scoreless innings. The Cornell right-hander allowed just three hits and two runs while striking out nine before leaving with one out in the seventh.   
 
Hanover (4-7) broke the game open with a five-run eighth inning.
 
The Rams were limited to three hits, including a double by Joseph Lomeli. Hanover scored four unearned runs off two Cornell errors.
 
Coming up – The Rams play host to Alma (6-7) for a home-opening four-game series March 21-23 at Ash Park. The series starts with a single game at 6 p.m. Friday.