Elmira, NY -- The Elmira College baseball team (0-8) was in search of their first win in program history today as the Soaring Eagles hosted the Pioneers of Alfred State (4-14) in a non-conference doubleheader at Dunn Field.  Elmira fought to the end in both seven inning games but would eventually fall short by two runs in both games, dropping a 4-2 decision in game one before being edged 6-4 in game two.
 
Game One Recap
Alexander Taulien '17 got the start in the opening game of today's doubleheader and would toss 6.1 innings, allowing four runs while striking out three batters. Taulien was super-efficient on the mound, as 57 of his game's 89 pitches were strikes. 
 
Elmira took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning as the Soaring Eagles produced the game's first run while working with two outs.  After a quick two outs, Hayden Rothenberg '17 reached safely thanks to a fielding error by the Pioneers.  Rey Colon '18 would advance Rothenberg to third base with a single that made its way through the left side and into left field, putting Rothenberg in scoring position.
 
From there, Mike Burghardt '18 took the first pitch he saw and laced it up the middle, scoring Rothenberg for EC's first run of the game.  Unfortunately, Elmira's lead was short-lived as the Pioneers scored four runs in the top of the fourth inning to take a 4-1 lead. 
 
EC got one back in the bottom of the sixth inning to cut Alfred State's lead to 4-2.  Harrison Leslie '18 began the sixth inning with a single through the left side of the infield on a 2-1 count and would see teammate Sean Shepardson '18 enter the game to pinch run for him. 
 
Elmira's next two batters would fail to reach base but Shepardson would steal second to put himself in scoring position for Matt van Muelken '18.  van Muelken would deliver on the next at-bat with a single up the middle that scored van Muelken from second.
 
The Soaring Eagles would close out the top of the seventh inning without surrendering a run as Elmira looked to rally in the bottom half of the inning.  Colon would lead-off the inning with an infield single on a 1-2 count. However, on Elmira's next at-bat, Burghardt would ground out to first base as the Pioneers looked to turn a double-play.  The throw to second was too late to turn the double-play as Colon reached safely, but following the safe call, Colon walked off the bag thinking the umpire called him out. 
 
With Colon walking back to the dugout, the Pioneer shortstop would make the tag for Elmira's second out of the inning.  Dylan Bellinger '17 was next up to the plate, working with two outs, but he would ground out to third base as the Soaring Eagles dropped game one, 4-2. 
 
Game Two Recap
Game two of today's doubleheader looked like it was going to be an offensive-filled game as six runs were scored between the two teams in the first two innings. 
 
Alfred State opened the game with a pair of runs in the top half of the first inning as the Pioneers' leading batter, Nicholas Padley, belted a two-run one-out single to take a quick 2-0 lead.  However, the Soaring Eagles answered in the bottom half of the inning with two runs of their own.
 
Rothenberg started the inning by working a 3-2 count for a walk.  EC's next batter, Dennis Rudolph '18, would also reach base on a walk before Burghardt advanced both runners with a sacrifice bunt, putting Rothenberg and Rudolph in scoring position with just one out.
 
Bellinger was Elmira's next batter and would also get walked, this time on just four pitches.  The third walk of the inning spurred Alfred State to make a pitching change, putting Conner Odonoghue on the hill with the bases loaded. 
 
With the bases juiced, Brian Wehmeyer '17 walked up and slapped a hard hit ball to the Alfred State shortstop.  Wehmeyer would get thrown out at first but his hard hit ball allowed Rothenberg to score from third for EC's first run of the game.  On the next at-bat, a wild pitch by Odonoghue allowed Rudolph to reach home safely, knotting things up at 2-2.
 
Alfred State answered in the top half of the second inning with a pair of runs to reclaim their two-run lead.  The Pioneers would cling to their 4-2 lead over the next three innings until the Soaring Eagles evened the game at 4-4 in the bottom of the fifth.
 
In the bottom of the fifth, Burghardt registered a two-out RBI double, scoring Jack Thistle '18 from second base, who led-off the inning with a single. 
 
Shepardson entered the game to pinch run for Burghardt and would reach third base following a wild pitch.  With Shepardson on third, Bellinger stepped to the plate and delivered an RBI single up the middle, tying the game at 4-4.
 
Elmira's pitching and defense held strong through the sixth inning but a two-out double by Rafael Perozo in the top of the seventh inning put the Pioneers ahead 5-4.  Alfred State would score another two-out run later in the inning on a fielding error, as the Pioneers took a 6-4 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning.
 
Rudolph led-off the bottom of the seventh with a single but Elmira's batters were unable to bring him home as the Soaring Eagles dropped a 6-4 decision to Alfred State.  Rudolph was also game two's starting pitcher as he threw six innings of four-run ball, with two of his four runs allowed being unearned. 
 
Elmira will be back in action tomorrow, April 3rd, when the Soaring Eagles host Utica College for an Empire 8 Conference game at 3:30 p.m.