NEW YORK – Freshman Eliot Lowell hit a two-out single to drive in pinch-running Forrest Crawford for the go-ahead run in the 10th inning, then freshman Matt Horton struck out the final two batters in the baseball team's 5-4 victory over Columbia in the first game of a Sunday doubleheader at Robertson Field. The Lions then came back to win the nightcap, 5-2.
 
The split leaves Cornell (18-13, 6-6 Ivy League) three games behind Columbia (17-16, 9-3 Ivy) in the Lou Gehrig Division standings heading into the final two weeks of play.
 
Game 1 – Cornell 5, Columbia 4 (10 inn.) – Box Score
In the game's third extra frame, sophomore Kevin Tatum hit a one-out single to right off Columbia reliever Zack Tax. Crawford then entered the game as a pinch runner and promptly advanced to second on a wild pitch. After a strikeout provided the second out of the inning, Lowell lined an 0-1 pitch to left. Head coach Bill Walkenbach waved Crawford around third, and the senior scored when the throw to the plate was cut off.
 
Horton then locked down the game after entering with a runner on first in the 10th. A sacrifice bunt and an uncontested stolen base allowed the potential tying run to reach third, but Horton struck out Ryan Vandercook and Nick Crucet swinging to end the game. Horton has now stranded all eight runners he has inherited this season.
 
After producing just one run in Saturday's doubleheader, the Big Red bats made their presence felt immediately on Sunday in the form of a three-run first inning.
 
Chris Cruz hit a one-out single to left, advancing to second on an unsuccessful throw to third intending to cut down JD Whetsel. Ryan Plantier followed with a single to left, scoring Whetsel. Tom D'Alessandro then dropped down a bunt single, allowing Cruz to score. Plantier moved all the way up to third on the play, then came home for the third run on Kevin Tatum's single to left.
 
But Columbia came back, tying the game with a three-run fourth inning. The Lions took their first lead of the day an inning later with Jordan Serena singling, stealing second, moving up to third on a wild pitch and scoring on an Alex Black one-out single to center.
 
Cornell then turned to sophomore pitcher Eric Upton, who was terrific in long relief to earn the victory. He kept the Lions off the board over his 4 1/3 innings while striking out seven to allow the BIg Red to mount its own rally and force extra innings by pushing across a fourth run in the seventh.
 
With closer Alex Black on the mound for Columbia, Brenton Peters led off with a double down the line in right. Whetsel followed with a single through the left side, moving Peters up to third. After a fielder's choice led to the first out, Peters scored on another fielder's choice off the bat of Plantier to tie the game and set the stage for the dramatic finale in the 10th.
 
Game 2 – Columbia 5, Cornell 2 – Box Score
The Lions took advantage of two Cornell errors in the third inning to plate three unearned runs to open the scoring and end senior starting pitcher Zach McCulley's scoreless streak at 15 innings.
 
The first 12 Big Red batters were retired in order, but the visitors got to freshman starter Adam Cline in the fifth. Plantier led off with a single through the right side, then D'Alessandro drew a walk. Tatum followed with a base hit to right field, loading the bases with no outs. Senior Conor McCabe and Lowell hit back-to-back run-scoring groundouts, but a strikeout left the potential tying run stranded at third.
 
As it turned out, those would be the only two hits in the game for the Big Red. Columbia tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth after Jordan Serena stole second and third before scoring. It was the only earned run surrendered by McCulley, who struck out four in 5 2/3 innings. Senior TJ Parthemer worked the remainder of the game, yielding just one run in the eighth inning.
 
Cornell will return to nonleague play in its next outing with a Tuesday doubleheader scheduled for 2 p.m. at Siena. The Big Red will then resume the Gehrig Division hunt by hosting Penn for four games on Saturday and Sunday at Hoy Field.