After an impressive series win against Harvard, baseball (6-23, 5-10 Ivy) squared off against Princeton (18-17, 10-5 Ivy) on April 21 and 22 at Booth Field in Ithaca, New York. This was a historic weekend for the team, as it played its first games at the new venue. In the series finale, former pitcher Rich Booth ’82 threw out the first pitch, exactly 101 years after the first game at Hoy Field.
Senior starting pitcher Spencer Edwards got off to a rough start, allowing Princeton’s first two batters to hit back-to-back home runs to start the game. Later in the inning, Edwards was able to avoid further trouble by inducing a double play and a strikeout.
The Red responded with two runs in the bottom half of the frame to tie the game, 2-2. These runs came via an RBI double from sophomore first baseman Max Jensen and a fielding error from the Tigers’ second baseman.
In the bottom of the second, Cornell added on another run to take the lead. With one out, sophomore outfielder Jakobi Davis tripled and eventually scored off of a sacrifice fly, courtesy of junior second baseman Matt Barnhorst.
After a scoreless third inning on both sides, Princeton’s offense exploded in the fourth, hitting a pair of two-run home runs to take a 6-3 lead.
The Red tied the game in the fifth inning when senior right fielder Sam Kaplan’s fly ball cleared the left field wall. Kaplan etched his name into Cornell history with this hit, marking the Red’s first home run in Booth Field.
While Cornell was able to tack on a run in the sixth inning, the Red was unable to contain the Tigers’ offense, losing the series opener, 11-8.
Similar to the first game of the series, Cornell found itself down 2-0 after the top of the first. Once again, the Red wasted no time to tie the game, scoring two runs of its own in the bottom of the frame.
With two outs in the top of the third inning, freshman starter Ethan Hamill gave up a walk and a pair of singles to load the bases. The Tigers cashed in during the next at-bat, hitting a grand slam to take a 6-3 lead.
While the Red scored one run in each of the second, third and fourth innings, it was not enough to defeat the Tigers. Cornell dropped the second game of the series, 8-5.
The final game lasted only seven innings — the umpires chose to call the game during the eighth inning due to an impending rain storm.
The Red was unable to get its offense going, getting shut out and having just four men reach base throughout the abbreviated game. Cornell’s pitching was also rocky — the Tigers managed to score at least one run in every inning but the fifth. The Red lost the final game of the three-game set, 11-0.
Cornell will look to secure its first win in Booth Field on Friday, April 28 at noon against Penn. All games from this series will be available on ESPN+.