MOUNT VERNON – Cornell completed a topsy-turvy baseball series at Ash Park by turning a 5-4-3 double play to secure a 7-5 Game 2 victory over Alma Saturday afternoon.
 
The visiting Scots rallied for 13 unanswered runs to claim a wild 13-11 victory in Saturday's opener.  
 
The teams split the four nine-inning games, which were played in a span of 26 hours. Each contest was decided by two runs or less.   
 
The Rams (7-9) salvaged the series split thanks to a strong Game 2 outing from freshman right-hander Karson Rose, who notched his first collegiate win on the mound. Rose held the Scots (8-11) to five hits and two runs over six innings.
 
Reliever Lucas Brutsche finished the job with two shutout innings of one-hit ball to earn his second save of the season.
 
Esteban Perez led Cornell's 12-hit attack, going 4-for-5 with an RBI and a run. Sean Alvarez went 2-for-5, highlighted by a towering solo homer in the fifth that put the Rams ahead 7-2.
 
Kale Rose also had two hits and scored twice. The senior racked up seven hits in the series and stretched his hitting streak to 13 games.
 
Cornell let an early 7-0 lead slip away in Game 1. Alma charged all the way back during a seven-run eighth inning with help from five walks and one hit batsman. The Scots went ahead 13-7 despite managing just one hit in the decisive eighth.
 
Vince Zipperer went 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI. Perez, Alvarez and Zach Garton added two hits apiece for the Rams. Garton drove in two runs.
 
Alma took advantage of nine walks and two hit batsmen. The Rams used seven pitchers in the opener.
 
Coming up – Cornell, the preseason favorite to win the Midwest Conference, opens MWC play March 29 with a 12 p.m. home doubleheader against Beloit.