MOUNT VERNON – An early test for two projected Midwest Conference baseball contenders went in favor of Beloit Thursday night at Ash Park.
 
Two-time defending MWC Tournament champion Beloit defeated MWC preseason favorite Cornell by scores of 9-4 and 8-3 in the conference opener for both teams.
 
The final game of the series is scheduled for 12 p.m. Saturday in Beloit, Wis.
 
Thursday's opener was tied 3-3 through six innings in a showdown between first team all-MWC pitchers with Cornell's Vince Tinajero and Beloit's Aiden Phipps. Tinajero left with a no decision after 5.1 innings of work, while Phipps pitched into the ninth to earn the win.
 
The Buccaneers (12-5 overall, 2-0 MWC) gained control with a four-run seventh inning, scoring on a sacrifice fly and then three consecutive RBI singles.
 
Beloit outhit the Rams, 15-12, and accounted for the game's only extra base hit.
 
Cade Parks went 3-for-4 with a run to pace the Rams (7-11 overall, 0-2 MWC). Cornell's No. 6-9 batters Vince Zipperer, Collin Severson, Seth Beals and Ryan Weaver all recorded two hits apiece.
 
In the nightcap, Cornell starter Thomas Hunt retired 11 consecutive batters during one stretch before running into trouble in the fifth, when the Buccaneers broke through with five runs on six hits to build a 6-0 lead.
 
Hot-hitting Kale Rose stretched his hitting streak to 15 games with a 3-for-4 effort at the plate. The senior climbed to No. 4 on Cornell's career hits list with 181, nine shy of the program's all-time record.
 
Esteban Perez doubled and scored a run for Cornell, which also received one hit each from Weaver and Parks.
 
Beloit's Jack Alport went 3-for-5 in Game 2 and finished with seven hits in the doubleheader.