Score: Elmira College 10 – Keuka College 9
Records: Elmira (9-17), Keuka (12-11)
Location: Kuhl Field – Keuka Park, NY
 
Keuka Park, NY -- The Elmira College baseball team secured its ninth victory of the season on Thursday afternoon, outslugging non-conference foe Keuka College 10-9 in a wild contest at Kuhl Field. The win sets a new single-season high-water mark for the program, as the Soaring Eagles posted eight victories during its inaugural season in 2015.
 
Year-over-year progress is something that all programs aspire to; however, this especially true of new programs such as Elmira baseball. Head Coach Corey Paluga's squad took another step in its development against Keuka on Thursday. Not only did it top its win total from last season in the win, but was also able to overcome adversity to collect that victory.
 
Tight-late inning situations have not been kind to the Soaring Eagles of late, as they have suffered heart-breaking defeats in the final inning several times over the last 10 games. However, Nick Cottone '19 was able to lock down a furious rally by Keuka to notch his first career save.
 
The game did not look as though it was going to come to a hair-raising ending, as Elmira jumped out to a big lead with a seven-run fourth inning.
 
Entering the fourth tied 1-1, after Nate Hanner '18 slugged a solo homerun in the second inning, the Soaring Eagles got to the Wolfpack bullpen with an aggressive approach. EC's first six batters, and nine of its first 10 hitters, reached base safely. Eight of those came via hits, as Elmira blew the game open. Dennis Rudolph '18 and Hanner each bashed a pair of singles and collected one RBI apiece during the frame. Jack Thistle '18, Conor Bawiec '18 and Dylan Bellinger '17 also drove in runs with RBI-singles, as the Purple and Gold train around the bases continued. Bryce Plante '18 also drove in two RBIs with a single up the middle. Elmira emerged with an 8-1 lead.
 
The Soaring Eagles added on to the wide lead in the seventh, when Bellinger launched his second RBI-single of the afternoon. Bawiec, who singled ahead of Bellinger, came around to score on wild pitch to up the advantage to 10-1.
 
Keuka began to chip away during the next half inning. With Bawiec lifted in favor of the bullpen following a lead-off single, the Wolfpack were able to chip away with three runs off of reliever Mike Ladka '16. EC had to turn to the pen again, before the end of the inning, as Davis Salzman '18 was brought on to record the final out.
 
Unfortunately, the bullpen struggles continued in the following inning, as Salzman relinquished a run and loaded the bases on a pair of walks sandwiching two singles. EC turned to Joe Marigliano '17 to quell the rally, but he let all three inherited runners to score on a walk and pair of sacrifice fly outs. Suddenly, the home side trailed by just a single run.
 
The Soaring Eagles turned to a freshman to lock things down in the ninth, as Nick Cottone '19 toed the rubber for one of the most high-leverage outings of his young career. Although the right-hander relinquished a two-out walk to put the tying run on first, he retired the side in relatively short order, the final two outs coming via the strikeout.
 
Inside the Box Score

• Elmira outhit Keuka 17-to-9 in the contest.
• The Wolfpack committed four defensive miscues in the contest, while EC was charged with two errors.
• Although Elmira racked up 10 runs, the team could have had even more. EC left 13 runners on base. Keuka finished with nine runners stranded on base.
• Eight Elmira batters collected hits, while five recorded multi-hit efforts in the win.
• Hanner collected his first career homerun. He finished 3-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBIs.
• Rudolph led all players with four hits, going 4-for-5 with a run scored and a RBI.
• Plante reached base safely in all five plate appearances. He went 3-for-3 with two walks, two RBIs, two runs scored, and a stolen base.
• Bawiec finished 2-for-5 with two runs scored and one RBI.
• Bellinger went 2-for-6 with two RBIs.
• Will Jenkins '18 went 1-for-6 with a run scored, while Jack Thistle '18 finished 1-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI.
• Rothenberg continued his hitting streak, going 1-for-4.
• Matt van Muelken '18 scored a run.
• Bawiec picked up the victory to improve his record to 3-3 on the season. He threw 6.0+ innings of two-run ball, allowing four hits and striking out two Keuka batters.
• Although Marigliano allowed three inherited runners to score, he posted a clean inning with just one walk and one strikeout.
• Cottone picked up his first collegiate save, walking one and striking out two.

 
News and Notes

• Today's win snaps a four-game losing streak for Elmira.
• The victory was Elmira's ninth of the season, setting a new single-season high for the program.
• Elmira is now 1-2 all-time against Keuka.
• Cottone picked up his first collegiate save.
• Bawiec extended his hitting streak to 12 games and on-base streak to 36 straight contests with his 2-for-5 day.
• Hanner slugged his first collegiate homer.
• Rothenberg stretched his hitting streak to a modest four games.
• Rudolph finished one hit off his career high set earlier this season.

 
Up Next
Elmira returns to action this Saturday, April 23^rd, when it travels to SUNY New Paltz for a non-conference doubleheader. Opening pitch of the twin-bill is slated for 12:00 p.m.