FARMVILLE, Va. — Junior Spenser Souza stole home in the ninth inning, then freshman RHP Brent Jones tossed a complete-game three-hitter to lead the baseball team to a Friday doubleheader sweep at Longwood. The Big Red rallied to win the first game in the ninth inning, 4-3, then took the nightcap, 3-1.
 
Jones improves to 4-0 in his collegiate career with three complete games. He struck out eight while walking just one in seven innings of work Friday night. The only blip on the radar was a fifth-inning home run from the host Lancers, but the Big Red already had built a lead by that point.
 
Cornell is 12-4 looking for a series sweep in the finale against Longwood at 1 p.m. Saturday.
 
Game 1 – Cornell 4, Longwood 3 – Box Score
The Big Red scored the tying and go-ahead runs in the ninth inning, the latter on a steal of home plate by the pinch-running Souza. Senior Brian Billigen led off the frame with a double, then advanced to third on groundout. After a strikeout brought the Big Red to its final out, freshman Kevin Tatum singled to left-center to plate Billigen and knot the score at 3.
 
Souza then pinch ran for Tatum and reached third base on a double by freshman JD Whetsel. Timing the Longwood catcher's throw back to the pitcher during the next at-bat, Souza took off for home and scored the go-ahead run in dramatic fashion. Freshman Kellen Urbon then earned his third save of the year.
 
Freshman LHP Eric Upton earned the win with 2 2/3 innings of relief. After surrendering a two-run single that gave Longwood a 3-2 lead in the sixth, Upton induced an inning-ending double play. He worked around a leadoff single in the seventh and didn't allow a runner past first in the eighth. Freshman RHP Brian McAfee had a solid start. The only run he yielded in five innings came in the first, and he fanned six without issuing a walk.
 
Cornell took the lead in the fourth. Billigen hit a one-out single through the right side, then scored on a single by sophomore Chris Cruz that was then compounded by an error on the rightfielder. With Cruz on third, Tatum walked. The duo then executed a play in which Tatum got caught in a rundown between first and second, but drew out the play long enough to allow Cruz to run home and give the Big Red the lead.
 
Game 2 – Cornell 3, Longwood 1 (7 innings) – Box Score
Cruz was 2-for-3 with a triple and his team-leading sixth home run of the season. This roundtripper was his first inside-the-park homer of the season, leading off the second inning and providing the Big Red with a 1-0 lead. The Longwood centerfielder made an attempt on a diving catch, but the ball got by him and ran all the way to the fence. Cruz was able to round the bases without drawing a throw.
 
The Big Red extended the lead in the fourth, with Billigen leading off with a double down the left-field line. Cruz proceeded to drive in Billigen with a triple to left-center, then he came around to score on Tatum's single to left with runners on the corners. Tatum had two of the Big Red's six hits.
 
Jones took care of the rest. His lone hiccup resulted in a fifth-inning home run, but just two Longwood runners reached scoring position the rest of the game. It was a three-hitter for Jones, who worked three 1-2-3 innings – including the seventh.