Baseball News Releases
Tierney goes 5-for-5 in Game 1 loss to nationally-ranked Buena Vista
Coming up - Friday, April 10, vs. Wartburg (1x9), Ash Park Field, Mount Vernon, 6 p.m.; Saturday, April 11, vs. Wartburg (DH), Ash Park Field, Mount Vernon, 1 p.m.; Wednesday, April 15, vs. Coe (DH), Ash Park Field, Mount Vernon, 5 p.m.
Ram review - Cornell's tough luck in tight games continued as the Rams endured an 0-4 week which included a pair of one-run losses and two competitive contests against Iowa Conference leader Buena Vista.
The Rams surrendered a run in the bottom of the ninth in an 8-7 loss at IIAC rival Coe March 31. The next day, Cornell dropped a 5-4 home decision to Grinnell after stranding the tying run in scoring position in the ninth.
Cornell held its own at 22nd-ranked Buena Vista (19-3, 6-1 IIAC) in a doubleheader Friday, falling by scores of 14-10 and 4-1. Saturday's scheduled nine-inning game with Buena Vista was cancelled due to inclement weather.
Cornell (4-14 overall, 1-6 IIAC) outhit the opponent in three of the four games.
"Our hitting is OK, but we're just not making the plays in crucial spots," Cornell head coach Frank Fishler said. "Defensively, we've just got to make plays. It was basically one inning in each game that cost us. It's frustrating when you outplay the opponent for eight of the nine innings and lose. We've got to get over the hump."
The Rams wasted an upset bid against Buena Vista in Game 2. Cornell took a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the sixth, when the Beavers rallied for four runs on only two hits in the inning. Buena Vista scored the game-winning run on a passed ball and plated two insurance runs on a wild pitch, followed by a fielder's choice.
Sophomore Adam Butler (Lincolnwood, Ill./Niles West) was the hard-luck loser on the mound. He allowed only two hits before being relieved by Casey Korn (High Ridge, Mo./Northwest) with Cornell leading 1-0 with the bases loaded and no outs in the sixth. The Rams scored their lone run in the fourth, getting a two-out double from David Bartine (Des Moines/Roosevelt) that plated Matt Pfister (Northfield, Ill./New Trier). Korn and Ryan Clausen (Clinton/Clinton) each had a double for the Rams, who outhit Buena Vista 5-3.
Cornell pounded out 16 hits in the opening game against the Beavers, highlighted with a 5-for-5 performance from junior center fielder Michael Tierney (Cedar Rapids/Jefferson). Tierney collected three doubles and scored three times. Sophomore Andrew Patzke (Madison, Wis./Edgewood) went 3-for-5 with six RBIs, including a grand slam in the fourth. Clausen also had three hits and belted a solo homer in the sixth.
Buena Vista built a 10-1 lead in the opener, sparked by a seven-run second inning. Cornell rallied for five runs in the fourth to cut the deficit to 10-7, but the Beavers responded with four more runs in the fifth.
Cornell's ninth-inning rally against Grinnell ended with the tying run on second base in another tough one-run loss. Trailing by two runs in the ninth, the Rams trimmed the deficit to 5-4 when Tierney scored on Korn's groundout with two outs. Patzke kept the rally alive with a double to right-center field, but was stranded on second after a game-ending groundout to shortstop.
Patzke had a big game for the Rams, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored. He crushed a solo home run to left that pulled Cornell to within 2-1 in the sixth. Patzke added an RBI single in the seventh that tied the game at 3-3. Tierney tallied a pair of hits and scored two runs for the Rams, who outhit Grinnell 9-8.
The Rams let one slip away against Coe at Daniels Park. Cornell built a 5-0 lead after five innings, but Coe charged back with seven runs in the sixth to go ahead 7-5. The Rams tied the score with two runs in the top of the ninth, only to see the Kohawks win it on a one-out single in the bottom of the ninth.
Clausen went 2-for-2 with a pair of RBIs, including a bases loaded hit by pitch that brought home the tying run in the ninth. Korn and Bartine each collected two hits and scored two runs. Tierney drove in two runs.
Korn held the Kohawks scoreless on only three hits through the first five innings before giving up five earned runs in the sixth. Butler came on in the seventh and allowed three hits and one run.
Who's hot? - Patzke enjoyed a productive week at the plate, batting .538 (7-for-13) in four games. He tallied two doubles, two home runs and eight RBIs for a whopping 1.154 slugging percentage. Patzke raised his season batting average to .440, second on the team to Clausen's .455.
Junior Matthew Shimanovsky (Niles, Ill./Niles West) extended his team-best hitting streak to eight games with a single in the second inning in Game 2 against Buena Vista. He is batting .464 with six doubles during the current stretch.
100-hit club - Korn needs one hit to reach 100 for his career. The Rams have had seven players join the 100-hit club since 2001, including Tyler Downing (101 hits) last season. Korn is hitting .302 this season.
Close games - Cornell is 3-7 this season in games decided by three runs or less. Four of those losses have been decided by a single run.
