Elmira at Utica
Series Details	Friday, March 30 | Clinton, N.Y. | 3:00 p.m. Saturday, March 31 | Clinton, N.Y. | 12:00 p.m. (DH)
Series Coverage	Live Stats: Stats Link
Utica Links	Roster | Schedule | Stats

ELMIRA, N.Y. -- Still in search of the first win of the 2018 season, the Elmira College baseball team opens a three-game Empire 8 Conference series against Utica College today at 3:00 p.m. Due to unplayable field conditions at Utica's home ballpark, the weekend series has been moved to nearby Hamilton College's Loop Road Baseball Complex in Clinton, New York.

LAST TIME OUT
On Wednesday, the Soaring Eagles suffered a 9-4 conference loss against the Ducks of Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey. Although the team finished with just six hits, the Stevens pitching staff surrendered 11 walks, which helped EC grab an early lead. Nate Hanner '18 walked and scored on a groundout in the second, and Bryce Plante '18 did the same in the third. Eddie O'Donnell IV '18 added to the lead in the fourth by scoring on a Plante RBI grounder, which gave Elmira a 3-1 advantage. The bullpen, however, was unable to maintain the lead in the fifth inning, as the Ducks tacked on six runs in the inning to take an insurmountable lead.

SOLID START FROM SAMPOGNA
Senior Nick Sampogna '18 has been hampered by an injury that has prevented him from assuming his typical role in the Elmira rotation. However, he looks to be on the mend, as the right-hander made his first start of the year in the midweek matchup at Stevens. Sampogna tossed a respectable 4.0 innings and left the mound with a 3-1 lead. After giving up a run in the first, he retired six in a row between the second and third innings, before tossing a scoreless frame in the fourth.

SCOUTING UTICA
The Pioneers remain above .500 at 7-6 but are coming off of a series loss against Houghton College in the first conference series of the 2018 season. The Highlanders took back-to-back games by scores of 10-6 and 13-9, with the latter coming on Monday afternoon. UC is hitting well as a team with a .311 batting average, the second-best in the league. The Pioneers also rank second in home runs with seven, led by third baseman Tim Quinlan with three. Quinlan is slashing .320/.395/.756 and is one of seven starters who boasts a batting average above .300. Catcher Matthew Fitzgerald leads Utica and the entire E8 with a .459 average after producing hits in seven consecutive appearances.

SERIES HISTORY
Elmira has found more success against the Pioneers than any other Empire 8 opponent in the first three seasons of Soaring Eagle baseball. EC is 5-4 all-time against Utica, which includes a sweep of all three contests in 2017. After dropping the first four meetings with the Pioneers, the Soaring Eagles have won five in a row, the longest win streak in any series in the program's brief history.

LOOKING AHEAD
EC's current five-game road trip will conclude on Tuesday, April 3, when the Purple and Gold travel to Keuka Park, New York, to face the Wolves of Keuka College at 3:00 p.m.