Columbia
Cornell
Baseball Stuns Cornell With 9-8 Comeback Victory in Nightcap
4/18/2015 6:48:00 PM | Baseball
BOX SCORE (.html) | BOX SCORE (.pdf)
NEW YORK – The resilient Columbia baseball team overcame a pair of five-run deficits to walk-off with a 9-8 victory over Cornell in game two of a four-game series Saturday afternoon. With the win, the Lions improved to 21-12 overall and 12-2 in Ivy League play.
Down 8-6 in the bottom of the ninth, Gus Craig belted his second homer of the day to pull the Lions within one. David Vandercook followed with a double off the wall in center and Randell Kanemaru poked a single into rightfield to put runners on the corners.
Pinch-hitter John Kinne came up with yet another clutch hit, singling in Vandercook to tie the score with no outs. Logan Boyher laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to bring the winning run within 90 feet and the Big Red (9-22, 6-8) opted to intentionally walk Will Savage to set up a force play.
Cornell brought in rightfielder Dan Morris as an extra infielder to limit space on the infield, but Jordan Serena drew a walk with the bases loaded to end the game and cap the improbable comeback.
The Big Red put five runs on the board in the top of the first, but Columbia would score runs in the second and fourth innings to get back into the game at 5-2.
However, RBI hits from Dan Morris and Kevin Tatum brought Cornell's lead back up to 7-2 in the fifth before a big rally in the bottom of the frame by the Lions.
Two walks set the table for Craig, who crushed an 0-1 pitch over the high wall in right-center to cut the deficit to 7-5. Vandercook made it back-to-back homers by tucking one just inside the foul poul in right to make it a one-run ballgame.
Columbia had opportunities in the sixth and seventh innings, but could not cash in and the Big Red tacked on an insurance run in the top of the eighth after an RBI single by Ryan Karl.
Craig finished 4-for-5 with the two homers, four RBI and three runs scored to pace the offense. Serena and Vandercook also picked up three hits in the triumph.
Ty Wiest picked up the win (3-1) after throwing 4.2 innings of shutout ball in relief. Wiest allowed four hits and struck out six.
The Lions will finish the series with the Big Red with another doubleheader on Sunday, April 19, beginning at 12 p.m. Fans can catch all of the action on the Ivy League Digital Network.
.png&width=84&height=84&quality=100&type=webp)
