Score: Huntingdon College 15, Elmira College 3
Score: Huntingdon College 11, Elmira College 8
Records: Huntingdon (5-3), Elmira (0-3)
Location: Posey Field -- Montgomery, Alabama

MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- The Elmira College baseball team was swept by Huntingdon College in a non-conference doubleheader on the second day of the 2018 season on Tuesday. The Hawks pounded out a combined 30 hits en route to a 15-3 rout in the first game and an 11-8 triumph in the nightcap.

As the scores suggest, the Hawks, who are just two seasons removed from a berth in the 2016 NCAA Division III South Regional, cruised to victory in the first half of the twin bill behind an offense that exploded for season-highs in hits (19), runs (15) and RBIs (13). 

In the nightcap, however, the Soaring Eagles managed to keep things interesting by taking advantage of several Huntingdon miscues for a pair of big innings.

Game One
Huntingdon scored runs in all six innings in which it went to bat, as four EC pitchers combined to allow 15 runs (10 earned) on 19 hits. Noah Gulino '19 made his first start as a Soaring Eagle and was rudely welcomed by the hosts, who taxed the junior transfer for eight runs (seven earned) in 3.0 innings of work.

The Hawks started things off with a pair of RBI singles in the bottom of the first inning to take a lead they would never relinquish. Gulino helped his own cause by taking out Huntingdon's Logan Gildea at the plate, as he tried to score on a wild pitch that was quickly gathered by EC catcher Eddie O'Donnell IV '18.

Elmira countered in the top of the second inning, as three consecutive singles from Conor Bawiec '18, Dennis Rudolph '18, and Jansen Crossley '20 allowed EC to slice the deficit in half, 2-1. O'Donnell was then plunked by Jeremy Peterson to load the bases, but a groundout cut down the runner at the plate and Joey Florio '20 hit into a double play to end the inning.

Down 6-1 in the fourth, Harrison Zambarano '19 looked to spark some life into Elmira with a two-out RBI double, but the trail runner, O'Donnell, was gunned down on a relay at the plate. As the Hawks piled on the runs in the late innings, the EC side was unable to match, as a seventh-inning RBI groundout off the bat of Zambarano produced the only other run scored by the Soaring Eagles.

Nick Cottone '19 was the only Elmira pitcher to escape the opening game unscathed, as he fanned one in one hitless inning of relief. At the dish, Rudolph led all Soaring Eagles with two hits and Zambarano went 1-for-3 with two of the team's three RBIs.

Game Two
Riding the momentum of the opening win, the Hawks tallied the first six runs of the game in the first three innings. Despite another looming deficit, the Soaring Eagles plated five runs in the top of the fourth to make it a one-run game, 6-5. Walks to Tommy Fogarty '20 and Zambarano and a single by Rudolph loaded the bases for Cameron Heggie '18. Heggie smacked a two-run single back up the middle, and one out later, Sam Plaugher '20 came through with an RBI hit.

The rally continued when Crossley reached on an error, which re-loaded the bases. Heggie trotted home from third on a wild pitch, and Bryce Plante '18 drove in a run with a base hit of his own. Alas, the bases were left juiced when Fogarty and Zambarano both struck out in their second at-bats of the frame.

Huntingdon beat up the EC bullpen once again, adding five more runs to widen the margin to 11-5. Elmira had one last chance to piece together a comeback in the top of the seventh, and thanks to some costly defensive errors by the Hawks, nearly pulled off the improbable feat. A dropped two-out fly ball allowed Rudolph to score all the way from first base. Plaugher then drove in Nick Sampogna '18 by slugging a triple into left field. Plaugher was able to come home on another fielding error, this time by Huntingdon third baseman Taylor Fought.

That was as close as the Purple and Gold would come to the lead, as reliever Taylor Borst recorded the only out he needed by fanning Bawiec to thwart the comeback attempt.

Plaugher logged two hits, two runs and two RBIs in the second game, while Rudolph went 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored and Heggie finished tied for the team lead with two RBIs. Joe Kidd '18 and Zach Williamson '20 both struck out three batters, but each surrendered five runs in the loss.

News and Notes

• Elmira fell to 0-3 on the young season, while Huntingdon improved to 5-3.
• Plaugher tied a career-high with two hits in the second game, while setting a new single-game best with two RBIs.
• Rudolph produced multi-hit games in both ends of today's doubleheader.
• Rudolph and Bawiec have both recorded at least one hit in each of EC's three games to start the 2018 campaign.
• Dating back to the 2017 season, Bawiec has reached base in 31 consecutive games, just six games shy of his program-record 37-game on-base streak that spanned parts of the 2015 and 2016 seasons.
• Jourdan Plaisted '21 and Taber Carter '21 made their collegiate debuts against the Hawks.
• Infielder Mark Ryan '21 and left-handed pitcher Gulino made their first starts as Soaring Eagles.

Up Next
Elmira will enjoy a day of rest while traveling from Alabama to Misenheimer, North Carolina, for a contest against Pfeiffer University on Thursday, February 22. First pitch between the Soaring Eagles and Falcons is slated for 4:00 p.m.