Elmira College (8-15) vs. Alfred State (6-18)
Tuesday, April 19, 2016 | 6:00 P.M. | Dunn Field – Elmira, NY
 
Live Coverage | Twitter: @ECSoaringEagles
 
Elmira, NY -- The Elmira College baseball team continues its season-long homestand on Tuesday evening when it welcomes Alfred State for a non-conference clash at Dunn Field. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
 
Last Time Out
Elmira looked poised to secure its biggest victory in program history on Sunday afternoon when it concluded its season series with Empire 8 Conference heavyweight Stevens Institute of Technology. After falling behind early, EC stormed back to tie the game with a five-run fifth inning. The Soaring Eagles pulled ahead, 8-7, with two more runs in the sixth. Elmira carried the advantage all the way to the ninth inning, bringing Dennis Rudolph '18 out of the pen to lock down his first save opportunity of the season. Unfortunately, the Ducks had other ideas, scratching across the tying run to force extra-innings, before adding seven runs in the top of the 10th to take an insurmountable lead. Dylan Bellinger '17 launched his third homer of the season in the bottom of the inning, finishing 2-for-5 with four RBIs on the day, but Stevens held on for the 15-10 win.
 
Bellinger Blast
Dylan Bellinger '17 has been a steady producer in the middle of the Elmira order all season. Although he was held relatively in check by Houghton College on Saturday, the EC first baseman showed his prodigious power once again on Sunday against Stevens. He launched his third homer of the year, as part of a 2-for-5 afternoon, setting a new single-season career high. He drove in four RBIs, which equalled his single-game career best. His 11 doubles rank third-best in the conference, while he is seventh in RBIs (27) and tied for 10th in homeruns (3).
 
The Beat Goes On
Conor Bawiec '18 had another big weekend for the Soaring Eagles, collecting at least one hit in all four games. He has hit safely in every game (10) since the St. John Fisher College no-hitter on March 26th. His streak of reaching base safely stretched to 34 straight contests.
 
All-Time Series
Elmira was swept by Alfred State in a doubleheader at Dunn Field during its inaugural season in 2015. Both games were tightly contested with the Pioneers taking the opening game 4-2 and the nightcap by a 6-4 final. Dennis Rudolph '18 led the way offensively for EC, going a combined 3-for-4 with a run scored in the two contests. Rudolph also took the mound for game two, collecting a no-decision after firing 6.0 innings and allowing two earned runs.
 
Scouting Alfred State
It has been a challenging season for Alfred State, as the team comes into Tuesday's non-conference matchup with a record of 6-18. The Pioneers got off an extremely difficult start with 12 straight losses to begin year; however, the team has been on quite a roll of late. Alfred State carries a four-game winning streak to Dunn Field on Tuesday, after sweeping a home-and-home series with D'Youville College over the weekend. In particular, the Pioneer offense has led the way during the recent surge, tallying 45 runs over the four-game set. Second-year outfielder Thomas Shofi powers the Alfred State lineup, leading the team's regulars with a .395 batting average, 16 runs scored, and 15 RBIs. He packs some significant punch, with 13 of his 30 hits going for extra-bases on 10 doubles, one triple, and two homeruns. Third-year righty Brady Sass is the team's workhorse on the mound, throwing 40.0 innings. He enters with a 2-4 record and a team-leading 30 strikouts. Classmate Kyle Kuzma has been strong out of the pen with 10 appearances and a team-best 3.48 earned run average.
 
Up Next
Elmira jumps back into E8 play when it welcomes Ithaca College for a 6:00 p.m. start at Dunn Field on Wednesday, April 20th.