Score: Frostburg State University 5, Elmira College 4
Score: Stevenson University 11, Elmira College 5
Records: Elmira (0-9), Frostburg State (10-1), Stevenson (7-5)
Location: Sugar Field -- Stevenson, Maryland

STEVENSON, Md. -- Woes continued for the Elmira College baseball team in the first month of the 2018 season, as the Soaring Eagles were beaten in both ends of Sunday's non-traditional doubleheader in Stevenson, Maryland. In the opener, Frostburg State University walked off to win a neutral-site contest by a 5-4 score, before EC dropped an 11-5 decision to the host Mustangs of Stevenson University.

Game One
The Soaring Eagles scored one run in the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth innings to take a 4-2 lead over the Bobcats of Frostburg State, who received votes in the latest edition of the D3baseball.com/National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Top 25. An RBI single off the bat of Dennis Rudolph '18 in the top of the sixth gave Elmira a brief 2-1 advantage, and in the seventh and eighth innings, respectively, Conor Bawiec '18 and Jansen Crossley '20 lifted sac flies into the outfield to put the Soaring Eagles up 4-2.

The lead was short-lived, however, as Frostburg State's Matt Thomas uncorked a two-out, bases-loaded double down the left-field line to even the score at 4-all. In the top of the ninth, Sam Plaugher '20 reached safely on a one-out infield single. Plaugher was sacrificed to second with a bunt, putting the potential go-ahead run in scoring position. After Bawiec was intentionally walked, Tommy Fogarty '20 grounded out to keep the score even.

The first two Bobcats that batted in the bottom of the frame singled, but Elmira reliever Corey DeMauro '20 (0-1) induced a fielder's choice grounder and an infield pop-up in the next two at-bats. With two out and runners on the corners, senior Logan Corrigan came up with a clutch RBI single for the walk-off game-winner.

EC hurler Nick Cottone '19 took a no-decision but appears to be adapting well to his new role in the starting rotation. The former reliever made his second consecutive start of the year and logged the longest outing of his career with 7.2 innings of work. He allowed four runs (one earned) on five hits and three walks while fanning five. Frostburg reliever Mike Livingston (1-0) earned the win with 2.0 innings out of the bullpen for the Bobcats.

Game Two
Stevenson, the only team that has beaten the one-loss Bobcats so far in 2018, out-hit the Soaring Eagles 12-to-6 in the second game of the day. The Mustangs blew open a 5-2 game by plating four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Elmira looked ready to mount a comeback in the ensuing frame, as freshman infielder Mark Ryan '21 smacked a two-run triple to that scored Fogarty and Harrison Zambarano '19. Ryan then came around to on an Eddie O'Donnell IV '18 RBI groundout, trimming the deficit to 9-5. Despite the rally attempt, the Purple and Gold stranded a pair of runners on base in the top of the seventh and went down 1-2-3 in the eighth to thwart the late-inning spark.

Ryan finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs and one run scored in the nightcap. On the mound, second-year righty Zach Williamson '20 was the only EC pitcher to record a scoreless appearance, as he closed the final 1.2 innings with no runs on just three hits.

News and Notes

• Elmira's season-opening road stand end with the Soaring Eagles going 0-9.
• EC limited Frostburg State, which averaged over 10 runs per game in its first 10 games of the year, to just five runs in the walk-off loss.
• Frostburg's five runs scored in the earlier game are tied for its lowest scoring output of the season.
• Against Stevenson, the Soaring Eagles worked out a season-high eight walks.
• Cottone's 7.2 innings of work in the bout with the Bobcats marks the longest start of his career.
• Rudolph has reached base safely in all nine games in 2018 and is riding a four-game hit streak.
• Ryan posted the first hits and first RBIs of his freshman season in the nightcap.
• Bawiec's on-base streak was snapped against Stevenson, as he finished just one game shy of his program record by reaching safely in 36 consecutive games between his junior and senior seasons.

Up Next
After playing the first nine games of the season on the road, Elmira will host the Tigers of Rochester Institute of Technology in its 2018 home opener at historic Dunn Field on Tuesday, March 20. First pitch for the non-conference game is slated for 3:00 p.m.