Rams take IIAC series from Buena Vista

A determined Jeremy Ryan struck out the game's final batter and was swarmed by teammates and coaches as Cornell celebrated an eyebrow-raising series baseball win over Iowa Conference preseason favorite Buena Vista Saturday at Ash Park Field.

The Rams (5-9 overall, 2-1 IIAC) took two out of three games from Buena Vista, a third-place finisher in the 2011 NCAA Division III College World Series.

Cornell did it two entirely different ways, overcoming 10 errors and a late four-run deficit to post an improbable 16-14 win in Friday's nine-inning opener. Ryan and the Rams prevailed in an old-fashioned pitchers' duel in Game 2 Saturday, 2-1.

Buena Vista (8-8, 1-2 IIAC) won the first game Saturday, 9-0, behind a two-hitter from Michael Dirkx.

"Those are two program-changing wins," said Cornell first-year head coach Seth Wing, who inherited a squad that went 1-23 in league play last season. "Our guys responded in Game 2 (Saturday) and showed that we are a legitimate team. This series win was a complete team effort. We still have a lot of work to do, but with our attitude we're going to get there."

Ryan, a 6-foot-2 sophomore transfer from Webster (Mo.) University, faced just four batters over the minimum in recording his first victory as a Ram. The right-hander allowed six hits, struck out five and did not issue a walk over seven innings.

Ryan (1-2) rebounded from two rough starts in Florida to start the season.

"Talk about a competitor. Jeremy showed this team he's going to be a starter for us the rest of the year," Wing said. "He made great improvement from his first two starts to Start 3. Coach (Scott) Shulista and (Adam) Butler have done a great job working with him."

The Rams gave Ryan all the support he needed in a two-run fourth inning. Ryan Nordtvedt drove in Charlie Muir with a double to right-center field. Jacob Courtright put the Rams ahead 2-0 on an RBI groundout to score Chris Rana.

Buena Vista made it 2-1 in the fifth on a triple and subsequent sacrifice fly. Ryan stranded the tying run on second base in the sixth, and retired the Beavers in order in the seventh.

In Game 1 Saturday, the Beavers capitalized on five errors and scored five unearned runs against Cornell starter Charlie Muir (1-3). Muir gave up seven hits and three earned runs over six innings.

Nordtvedt had an infield single in the fourth, and Beriah Quick lined a single to right in the seventh for Cornell's lone hits of the contest.

Cornell rallied for six runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to claim a wild 16-14 affair Friday in which the teams combined for 34 hits, 13 errors and 12 unearned runs.

Trailing 14-10 in the eighth, Cornell got a bases loaded walk from Muir and a two-run single from Nordtvedt to make it 14-13. Ryan delivered a go-ahead, two-run single down the right-field line with two outs. Quick capped the outburst with an RBI single to provide the final margin.

Freshman Kyle Stennes (1-0) fired 3.1 strong innings in relief to collect the win. He escaped a second-and-third jam with one out in the top of the ninth. Stennes finished with five strikeouts and no earned runs allowed.

Junior shortstop Zach Rogers had a huge night at the plate, going 3-for-5 with two homers, a double, three runs and six RBIs. He belted a three-run double in the second to pull the Rams to within 7-6. Rogers connected for a solo shot in the fourth and bombed a two-run homer in the sixth to bring Cornell to within 11-10.

Quick finished 3-for-5 with two RBIs. Muir had two hits and drove in three. Nordtvedt and Ryan both had a pair of hits and two RBIs. Juan Flores scored four times and Joe Gerace three. Buena Vista outhit the Rams, 19-15.

"Our approach at the plate Friday night was amazing 1 through 9. We did not have any easy outs," Wing said.

IIAC leaders - Rogers enters the week tied for the conference lead with 38 total bases and three home runs. He ranks second in slugging percentage (.745). Gerace stands third with 20 runs scored.

Coming up - Cornell turns its attention to future 2013 Midwest Conference foes Ripon and Carroll this weekend. The Rams play a doubleheader at Ripon (Wis.) at 1 p.m. Friday, March 30, followed by two games against Carroll in Waukesha, Wis., starting at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 31.

"The thing about baseball, the two wins (against Buena Vista) don't mean anything tomorrow," Wing said. "We have to prepare and move forward."