In a three-game set moved around by weather delays, Yale handed Cornell three straight losses in a series in which the Red couldn’t contain the Bulldogs’ bats.
Yale (11-14, 7-2 Ivy) scored 22 combined runs in the three contests to beat the Red (5-14, 1-5) in 7-4, 8-7 and 7-4 games.
In game one, the Bulldogs scored three runs in the top of the third inning and earned a series-opening win behind starting pitcher Scott Politz. The reigning Ivy pitcher of the year surrendered just one run in seven innings and the 2017 league champion Bulldogs built a comfortable 6-1 lead before a late Cornell rally came up short.
After a three-run third for Yale in game two, the Red responded with a five-spot in the bottom half of the frame. Despite an impressive offensive performance, bizarre defensive lapses in extra innings doomed Cornell in the middle game.
Knotted up at seven, the Bulldogs tacked on a run in the tenth. The leadoff man — the eventual winning run — reached on a strikeout and passed ball, and the Bulldogs ended up with runners on second and third after a Cornell error on a sacrifice bunt attempt.
With two runners in scoring position, sophomore reliever Andrew Ellison recorded one out, and got a second by striking out Yale’s Cal Christofori. But strike three got away and Christofori ran toward first base, allowing Yale’s Harry Hegeman to break for home and score.
In a game three pushed to Monday due to weather delays, Cornell suffered another 7-4 loss. The Bulldogs scored four runs in the sixth to build a 6-1 lead. The Red responded with three runs of its own in the bottom half of the inning, but couldn’t put a rally together in the final three innings.
Junior Josh Arndt extended his hitting streak to 10 games in the loss. At 1-5 in conference play, the Red is in last place in the Ivy League.
Cornell returns to action at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday for a non-conference home game against Binghamton.