Score Game 1: Eastern University 9 – Elmira College 1
Score Game 2: Eastern University 12 – Elmira College 10
Records: Eastern (3-6-1), Elmira (0-5)
Location: Eastern University Baseball Field – St. Davids, PA
 
St. Davids, PA -- The Elmira College baseball team took to the diamond for the first time since its trip to the Sunshine State over two weeks ago, when EC kicked off a two-day weekend swing through Pennsylvania with a doubleheader against Eastern University on Saturday. In a battle of Eagle mascots, it was Eastern who would prevail, capitalizing on a pair of fast starts to sweep both ends of the two-game set by 9-1 and 12-10 finals.
 
Strengthening the pitching has been a focus of the team since getting off to a bit of a rocky start during the opening week. However, the EC arms showed some considerable rust in allowing 21 runs on the afternoon.
 
Things got off to rocky start right out of the gates in the opening game of the doubleheader, as the Eagles put up an eight-spot in the first inning, chasing Elmira starter Andy Reed '19 after recording just two outs.
 
The Eastern bats were red-hot right out of the gates, stringing together seven straight hits in the bottom of the inning. The Soaring Eagles found themselves behind 2-0 just two batters into the game. Angelo Kelly got things going for Eastern with a single up the middle; Tim Gorton would follow by lashing a double into left center in which he would come all the way around to score on an error.
 
Joe Grato put the pressure right back on Reed with a triple into the right centerfield gap. He came around to score on a ground-single up the middle by Joseph De Los Santos. Andrew Check followed two batters later with an RBI double into right center, while Kyle Daddario knocked in a pair with a line-drive single into left center to make it 6-0.
 
Reed looked as though he was going to stop the bleeding there, as he fanned the next two batters he faced. However, the top of the lineup came back around to bite Reed with two more singles prompting an early pitching change. Nick Sampogna '18 relieved Reed, but was quickly tagged for an RBI single by Grato, which closed the book on Reed with eight runs across. Sampogna retired De Los Santos to finally end the inning, but unfortunately the damage was done.
 
Junior hurler Ryan Kehr was sharp for Eastern all afternoon in limiting EC to five hits and two walks in five frames of one-run ball. Elmira scratched across its lone run in the opener in the top-half of the fourth inning. Jack Thistle '18 drew a one-out walk and advanced to second on a passed ball. Rey Colon '18 followed by driving a single down the right-field line, putting runners on the corner with one out. Brian Wehmeyer '16 pushed Thistle across with a sacrifice fly to left, but unfortunately the inning stalled from that point.
 
The one silver lining from game one was the pitching of Sampogna. The second-year righty settled in after his first batter to toss 5.1 innings of one-run ball. He surrendered only five hits, while he struck out two in what was the most solid performance by an Elmira reliever on the young season.
 
Unfortunately, the slow starts continued to plague the Soaring Eagles in the second game of the afternoon. The Eagles pushed across three runs in the first inning to grab an early lead on Elmira starter Conor Bawiec '18.
 
Eastern's Angelo Kelly again got the train moving for the home side with a leadoff double. Gorton laced a single to left to bring him around during the next at-bat. Grato followed with a single, while an error put runners at second and third with nobody out. Eastern's Andrew Boykin and Connor Beaudoin added RBI singles, before Bawiec could extinguish the scoring threat.
 
Elmira answered with a run of its own during the next half inning. Bawiec helped his cause by driving a single up the middle to lead off the frame. Dennis Rudolph '18 lashed a single to right to put runners at first and second, while Nate Hanner '18 moved both into scoring position with a perfectly executed sacrifice bunt. Colon brought Bawiec around with an RBI ground out to second, but that was all the Purple and Gold were able to yield from the threat.
 
The rally did not last long, as put up another six runs in the bottom of the frame to blow the game open. The big blow in the frame came from Eastern's Andrew Check who launched a grand slam over the left-field fence.
 
Despite the large deficit, the Soaring Eagles showed their resiliency down the stretch. Elmira scratched two across in the top of the fourth to close the deficit to 9-3. Dylan Bellinger '18 led off the frame with a double into left, while Bawiec singled and advanced to second on the play to put two runners in scoring position with none out. Rudolph followed with a sacrifice fly to center, while Colon lofted a single into right to chase Bawiec home two batters later.
 
Elmira errors again set back its comeback attempts. Eastern was able to push across two unearned runs in Bawiecs' final inning of work on the mound to reestablish the eight-run lead.
 
EC answered back with a three-run spot during the next half inning. Bawiec continued his big day at the plate with an RBI single during the rally, while Mike Ladka '16 added a pinch-hit RBI single later in the frame. The final run came across when Will Jenkins '18 drew a bases-loaded walk to make the score 11-6.
 
Elmira had one final chance in the top of the seventh, trailing 12-6 after Eastern tacked on a run in the bottom of the fifth inning. The Soaring Eagles nearly pulled off the comeback. Matt van Muelken '18 started the inning with a free pass and came around to score on an RBI triple by Colon. After Jenkins struck out swinging, Bryce Plante '18 chased Colon home with a lined single to right. Outfield sub Josh Haines '18 drew a walk to put runners at first and second prompting Eastern to make its second pitching change of the inning.
 
Cameron Heggie '18 and Bellinger tagged Eastern reliever Jake Bunjo with back-to-back singles to make the scored 12-10, bringing the go-ahead run in Bawiec to the plate. Unfortunately, the rally ended there, as the EC starter laced a hard grounder to short, which turned into a game-ending double play.
 
Inside the Box Scores

• Bawiec finished 4-for-9 at the dish on the afternoon, scoring three runs and adding one RBI.
• Bellinger had a solid day, going 3-for-8 in the two games. He stroked a double, while adding one run and two RBIs.
• Colon also had an excellent day with the stick, going 4-for-7 with a triple, three RBIs, and one run scored.
• Hayden Rothenberg '17 finished with four walks and one run scored in game two.
• Joe Marigliano '17 had a solid relief outing in game two. He fired 1.2 innings of scoreless ball, allowing just one hit.
• Sampogna was exceptional in relief in game one. He was dealing in allowing just one run on five hits, while striking out two, in 5.1 innings of work.
• It was a difficult second collegiate start for Andy Reed '19 who only lasted two-thirds of an inning, while allowing eight runs.
• Although Bawiec was excellent at the plate, he struggled on the mound in allowing 11 runs, nine of them earned, in four innings of work.

 
News and Notes

• With the pair of losses, Elmira falls to 0-5 on the season.
• Bellinger broke out of his funk with his first three hits of the 2016 campaign, which included his first extra-base hit on a double in game two.
• Colon's three RBIs in game two set a new single-game career high. He knocked in five runs total during his debut season in 2015.
• Rudolph continued to swing a hot bat, racking three hits on the afternoon. He is now 5-for-10 on the season.
• Rothenberg's four walks in game two set a new single-game program record for walks by an Elmira batter.

 
Up Next
Elmira returns to action tomorrow afternoon when it continues its two-day swing through the Keystone State with a single game against the University of Valley Forge. First pitch is slated for 2:00 p.m.