Elmira College (8-17) at Keuka College (12-10)
Thursday, April 21, 2016 | 3:00 P.M. | Kuhl Field – Keuka Park, NY
 
Live Coverage
 
Elmira, NY -- The Elmira College baseball team continues its busy stretch with its third game in as many days on Thursday afternoon. The Soaring Eagles hit the road for the first time in nearly two weeks when it travels to Keuka College to take on the Wolfpack in a 3:00 p.m. start.
 
Last Time Out
The Soaring Eagles dropped their fourth straight contest last night when Ithaca College took a 12-6 decision at Historic Dunn Field. Although Nick Sampogna '18 has been a rotation stalwart for the Purple and Gold this season, the Bombers seemed to time up the second-year righty's fastball, scoring seven runs in 4.2 innings to force him from the game. IC built the lead to 10-0, before Elmira started making a comeback. Hayden Rothenberg '17 drove in three RBIs, as EC closed the gap to 11-6, but that was as close as the Soaring Eagles would get. The Bomber bullpen locked things down after the rough patch in the sixth and seventh innings to close out the contest.
 
Rothenberg Keeps It Rolling
Hayden Rothenberg '17 has been on a scintillating hot streak for the Soaring Eagles over recent contests. He collected his third straight three-hit game, going 3-for-5 with a three RBIs in the loss to Ithaca on Wednesday night. The EC centerfielder is the first player in the program's young history to string together three consecutive three-hit efforts. Over his last 15 plate appearances he has collected nine hits, driven in six RBIs, and scored four runs. Rothenberg now ranks second on the team with 18 runs scored and eight doubles on the season, while he has brought his batting average all the way up to .318 on the year.
 
Hitting Machine
Rothenberg is not the only EC hitter to be bashing the ball, as Conor Bawiec '18 continued his spectacular season with two more hits in yesterday's contest. The effort stretched his streak of reaching base safely to 35 consecutive games, while his hitting streak reached 11 straight games. He has collected at least one hit in 24 of the team's 25 contests this season, and 34 of his last 35 appearances dating back to 2015. Overall, he has hit safely in 39 of his 44 games in the Elmira lineup during his EC career.
 
All-Time Series
Elmira dropped both ends of a home doubleheader against Keuka College last season. The Soaring Eagles had an early 4-2 lead in the opener, but the Wolfpack racked up 17 hits and 18 runs to take the contest 18-7. Game two was much tighter, but Keuka starter Dakota Skinner baffled the Elmira bats in a 6-1 win by the visitors. Dylan Bellinger '17 led the way offensively for EC, going a combined 4-for-7 on the day, with two doubles, two runs scored, and four RBIs.
 
Scouting Keuka
The Wolfpack enter this Thursday's matchup with a 12-10 record and a 3-3 mark in NEAC play. Keuka has a 6-4 mark over its last 10 games, which includes a 3-1 mark against non-conference opponents. Senior Kyle Dailey leads the lineup regulars with a .373 batting average and 13 RBIs. Sophomore Dakota Skinner has also been excellent in a spot starting role in the lineup, posting a .480 average with 12 hits in 25 at-bats. Senior Kyle Michaud fronts the rotation with a 3-1 record and a 2.43 earned-run average in 29.2 innings pitched this season. The strikeout is his big weapon, as he has fanned 31 batters, averaging a little over one whiffed batter per inning.
 
Looking Ahead
Elmira returns to action on Saturday, April 23^rd, when it hits the road with a doubleheader against SUNY New Paltz. First pitch for the twin-bill is slated for 12:00 p.m.