Elmira College (6-10, 0-3 Empire 8) at Utica College (1-12, 1-4 Empire 8)
Saturday, April 2, 2016 | 1:00 & 3:30 P.M. | Utica College Baseball Field – Utica, NY
Sunday, April 3, 2016 | 12:00 P.M. | Utica College Baseball Field – Utica, NY
 
Live Coverage
 
Elmira, NY -- The Elmira College baseball team jumps back into Empire 8 Conference play this weekend when it heads north for a three-game set at Utica College. The Soaring Eagles face the Pioneers in a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 2^nd. The teams conclude the series at 12:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 3^rd.
 
Last Time Out
Elmira split the final two games of its season opening seven-game homestand in a doubleheader against Hilbert College on Thursday afternoon at Dunn Field. The Soaring Eagles faced early adversity in both contests, as the Hawks struck for big first innings in both contests. EC battled back in the opener, posting a five-run sixth to take the lead. Dylan Bellinger '18 provided the big blow in the frame, clearing the bases with a double that brought home three RBIs to lift Elmira to an 8-6 lead. Conor Bawiec '18 locked things down in the seventh, stranding the bases loaded with a pop-out to collect his first career save in the 10-9 win. The Purple and Gold showed fight in the second game as well, but were unable to bridge the early deficit in an 8-5 loss.
 
Always On-Base
Conor Bawiec '18 has been an on-base machine over the course of his career with the Soaring Eagles. After collecting hits in both contests against Hilbert on Thursday, the second-year standout has gotten on base in 26 consecutive games dating back to last season. In fact, the Lebanon, PA, native has only failed to reach base safely in three of his 38 appearances total appearances in the EC lineup during his career. Bawiec's career on-base percentage mark sits at .455.
 
Comeback Kids
With its win in the opener on Thursday, Elmira secured its second come-from-behind victory of the season. EC scored five runs in the sixth inning to take its first lead of the day over the Hawks, eventually closing things out in a 10-9 win. The game fits right in line with a growing trend regarding the Soaring Eagles performance in the later innings. While the Elmira bats have been quite strong as a team overall this season, they particularly seem to come alive late in games. The Soaring Eagles have posted a .308 batting average in the fifth through the ninth innings of games, while the team has scored 62 of its 109 runs this season in the second half of contests.
 
Getting Better Starts
Elmira will need to clean up its opening innings of games if it hopes to have success against the Pioneers this weekend. The Soaring Eagles have struggled out of the gates this season, particularly in the opening innings of games. Elmira is being outscored 33-to-14 in the first inning of contests this season, which includes a 14-to-1 disadvantage over the last three games.
 
All-Time Series
Utica swept the inaugural series between the two programs, taking all three contests at Dunn Field on April 3-4^th of last season. The Pioneers opened the series with a 6-3 victory, staving off a late Elmira rally fueled by Jack Thistle '18, who posted a 2-for-4 effort. Utica controlled things from the outset in the doubleheader the following day, taking the opening game 8-0 and the nightcap 10-1.
 
Scouting Utica
Utica has gotten off to a difficult start to the 2016 campaign, entering the weekend with an overall record of 1-12. The silver lining for the Pioneers is that the lone victory occurred in Empire 8 Conference play, as Utica scored a 5-0 victory in the opening game of a doubleheader against Houghton College this past Saturday. Utica holds a 1-4 mark in E8 play coming into the weekend, as the team dropped both ends of a mid-week twin-bill at the Stevens Institute of Technology on Wednesday. Hitting has been a struggle for the Pioneers, as they boast the lowest team batting average in the conference at .247 and a league-low 33 runs. JT Ross and Vincent Burillo carry Utica offensively. Ross has posted the highest batting average among the team's regulars, entering the weekend with a .340 mark with a team-leading five RBIs and five runs scored. Burillo holds a .324 average with 12 hits in 37 at-bats. The pitching, particularly the bullpen, has also struggled early this season, as the Pioneers rank fifth in the conference for team earned-run average (6.53) and last in opponent batting average (.342). The Pioneers do boast a pair of solid starting options in Ed Zakrzewski and Joshua Webb. Both players have a complete game to their credit and sport sub-3.00 ERAs. Zakrzewski leads the team with a 2.45 mark, which would put him fourth in the conference; however, he is two innings shy of qualifying for the E8 charts. Webb has posted a 2.64 ERA, which is sixth best in the league this season.
 
Looking Ahead
The Soaring Eagles return to action on Tuesday, April 5^th, when they head to Scranton, PA, for a single-game clash with Marywood University. First pitch is slated for 3:30 p.m.