Hayden Rothenberg
4
Elmira ELMIRA 1-1
9
Winner Methodist MUB 6-4
Elmira ELMIRA
1-1
4
Final
9
Methodist MUB
6-4
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Elmira ELMIRA 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 4 9 5
Methodist MUB 0 0 0 0 1 4 0 4 X 9 8 0

W: Greg Johnson (1-1) L: Reed, Andy (0-2)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Defensive Miscues Prove Costly as Baseball Opens Armstrong Invite With Loss vs. Methodist

Score: Methodist University 9, Elmira College 4
Records: Methodist (6-4), Elmira (0-2)
Location: Fayetteville, N.C. - Armstrong-Shelley Field

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- A solid start by the Elmira College baseball team did not hold up in the opening game of the Armstrong Invitational on Friday, as a handful of late miscues allowed the Monarchs of Methodist University to roar from behind for a 9-4 victory on their home field in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

The Soaring Eagles got things started right off the bat, as Hayden Rothenberg '17 and Tommy Fogarty '20 both reached base safely with a pair of base hits in the top of the first, and both eventually came around to score on RBI ground outs by Conor Bawiec '18 and Nate Hanner '18, respectively.

On the mound, second-year lefty Andy Reed '19 began his first start of the young season with four shutout innings, having allowed just a pair of singles through those four scoreless frames.

Despite a smooth start Purple and Gold, the wheels began to fall off in the fifth inning. The defense committed five errors in the final four innings, including three that allowed Brennan Brown to score after leading off the bottom of the fifth with a single. That cut he EC lead in half, 2-1.

In the sixth, the Monarchs exploded for four runs, only one of which was earned, to take the lead, and they never looked back. A run-scoring double from Tyler Hardee knotted the game, and Pete Wildeboer plated a pair with a base hit to right to make it 5-2 in favor of the hosts. EC scratched across two runs of its own in the seventh to trim the deficit down to one, as Dennis Rudolph '18 singled and scored on an RBI triple off the bat of Cameron Heggie '18. Heggie was driven in by Bryce Plante '18 in the ensuing at-bat to make it a 5-4 contest.

Methodist tacked four insurance runs in the home half of the eight, highlighted by a bases-clearing three-run triple by Mathias Carter that landed just fair down the right field line.

Turning Point
While holding on to their early lead, the Soaring Eagles played spotless defense to support Reed on the mound. However, troubles fielding the ball allowed the Monarchs to light up the scoreboard with a few crooked numbers late in the contest. In the fifth, Methodist's first run was aided by an errant pickoff, which allowed Brown to advance from first to third. EC should have escaped the sixth with the game knotted at 2-2, but a wild throw by Reed on a grounder allowed Clay Richardson to each base and extended the inning.

Inside the Box Score
  • Elmira scored four runs while out-hitting the Monarchs, 9-to-8.
  • EC also committed five errors.
  • Methodist plated nine runs on eight hits without an error on defense.
  • Rothenberg, Hanner, and Rudolph each finished 2-for-4 at the plate for the Soaring Eagles.
  • Rothenberg led all players with two stolen bases.
  • A Hanner double and Heggie triple accounted for both of EC's extra-base hits.
  • Reed took the loss for the Soaring Eagles after giving up five runs (one earned) on five hits in 5.2 innings.
  • Reed led EC's pitchers with three strikeouts.
  • Corey DeMauro '20 tossed a scoreless eighth with one punch out.
  • Carter finished 2-for-2 with two runs scored and five RBIs for the Monarchs in the lead-off spot.
  • Wildeboer posted 3 RBIs in the second spot of the Methodist lineup.
  • Southpaw Greg Johnson earned the win on the mound, hurling 6.2 innings with a game-high six strikeouts.
  • Johnson surrendered four runs on eight hits.

News and Notes
  • Elmira's record falls to 0-2 on the young season.
  • Freshman Jansen Crossley '20 made his first career start and played second base.
  • DeMauro saw the first action of his rookie season with a scoreless inning of relief.
  • Rothenberg made his collegiate debut behind the plate as EC's catcher against Methodist.
  • Rothenberg extended his consecutive game hit streak to 12 in a row, dating back to last season.
  • Rudolph extended his on-base streak to a team-leading 14 straight games, also dating back to 2016.
  • Heggie's triple was the first three-bagger of his career.

Up Next
The Soaring Eagles continue play at Methodist's Armstrong Invitational on Saturday, February 25th, with a neutral site contest against Rutgers University-Camden at 4:00 p.m. in Fayetteville, North Carolina.


 
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