Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Cornell
Baseball Falls 8-6 in 11 Innings to Cornell in Home Opener
3/18/2016 8:34:00 PM | Baseball
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Cornell's Josh Arndt hit a two-out double that scored a pair of runs in the top of the 11th inning to lead the Big Red to an 8-6 extra-inning win over Bucknell in the Bison's home opener Friday afternoon at Depew Field. The Bison fell to 6-10 on the season, while Cornell improved to 4-3.
Bucknell led by a 5-1 score at one point, but the Big Red plated one run in the sixth and four more in the seventh to take a 6-5 lead. The Bison tied it up again in the bottom of the seventh on a fielder's choice by Joe Ogren, who had two triples and a pair of RBIs in the contest.
The top third of the Bucknell lineup – Brett Smith, Danny Rafferty, Ogren - was strong, accumulating six of the team's 13 hits. All three veterans had two hits in the game and they combined for four runs scored and four RBIs.
Max Kra (1-1) was saddled with the loss in relief for the Bison, but he was strong. He logged 4.1 innings and allowed four hits and two runs while striking out two. He entered with the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh when Cornell had already scored four runs in the frame and he got Jordan Winawer to ground out to end the rally.
Kra then retired the side in order in the eighth and kept Cornell scoreless until the 11th inning. He retired the first two hitters he faced in the 11th, but C.J. Price singled and Eliot Lowell walked, setting up Arndt's double.
Ogren drew a two-out walk in the bottom of the 11th as darkness descended upon Depew Field, but the Bison were unable to mount a serious rally against Justin Lewis (2-0), who pitched 4.1 innings of shutout relief.
Early on it looked like it was going to be a high-scoring affair as Cornell scored one run in the top of the first off Bison starter Jeff Gottesman (5.2 IP) and Bucknell answered with two in the bottom half off Big Red starter Paul Balestrieri (5.0 IP). The Bison's first run came when Smith led off with a single and later scored on a wild pitch. The second run came when Mike Korchak grounded out following Ogren's triple, allowing him to run home.
Bucknell had just one baserunner over the next three innings, but broke through with three runs in the fifth inning. Rafferty's double to left-center plated Alex O'Neill and Smith, and Ogren followed with his second triple of the game. Ogren is the first Bison to have two triples in a game since Corey Furman two years ago.
Cornell came back and took the lead with a run in the sixth on an RBI double by Frankie Padulo and then four runs in the seventh when it sent 10 men to the plate against three Bison pitchers. The Big Red capitalized on a stretch where six straight hitters reached base on a hit by pitch, walk or error.
Bucknell's pitchers did force Cornell to strand 14 runners on base in the game, including 12 in the first seven innings. The Big Red left the bases loaded three times.
Bucknell and Cornell will continue their four-game weekend series with a doubleheader Saturday at Depew Field starting at noon.
