Score (Game One): Houghton College 4, Elmira College 1
Score (Game Two): Houghton College 15, Elmira College 6
Records: Houghton (14-12, 7-6 E8), Elmira (3-23, 2-12 E8)
Location: Kerr-Pagula Stadium -- Houghton, N.Y. 

HOUGHTON, N.Y. -- Road woes continued for the Elmira College baseball team on Saturday afternoon, as the Soaring Eagles were swept by host Houghton College in an Empire 8 Conference doubleheader by scores of 4-1 and 15-6. With the two losses, EC, which is winless away from Dunn Field in 2018, has officially been eliminated from E8 Tournament contention.

Game One
Nick Cottone '19 logged his first complete game of the season in the opening game, but a four-run first inning recorded by the Highlanders was more than enough offense to secure the win. Although Cottone got the first two outs of the inning with a grounder and a punch out, Houghton registered four hits and one walk over the next five at-bats. The biggest blow was a three-run double off the bat of Ben Closson that vaulted the Highlanders ahead, 4-0.

Cottone settled in after a shaky first inning, as he worked around a one-out double in the second with a pair of strikeouts and retired the side in order in the third. He also fanned the first two batters he faced in the fifth and tossed a scoreless sixth despite a pair of walks. In total, the third-year righty allowed four runs on five hits and four walks with six strikeouts.

At the plate, the Soaring Eagles let an important scoring opportunity slip away in the third inning. Back-to-back singles by Harrison Zambarano '19 and Bryce Plante '18, and a Conor Bawiec '18 hit-by-pitch loaded the bases with just one out in the top of the third. Unfortunately, Elmira was unable to push across a run, as the next two EC batters struck out on full counts.

Bawiec drove in the lone run for the Purple and Gold in the fifth inning with an RBI single, the third hit in a row for the Soaring Eagles to open the frame. Alas, Tommy Fogarty '20 grounded into a double play that took the wind out of Elmira's sails late in the contest.

Game Two
The Highlanders plated 15 runs on 16 hits, but 10 of those runs were scored in the late innings against the bullpen. Although the bats were cold early on, Elmira was in the game until the seventh inning, which is when Houghton ran away with the series finale.

Down 5-0, the Soaring Eagles loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the sixth. Although Dennis Rudolph '18 came through with a one-out RBI single, the theme continued for the Elmira batters; an inning-ending double play once again thwarted what looked to be a promising scoring chance.

Houghton put the game out of reach by tacking on four runs in the home half of the seventh and six more in the eighth against a handful of Elmira relievers. Freshman right-hander Mason Weir '21 was finally able to stop the bleeding in the eighth, as he recorded his first career strikeout in his collegiate debut for the final out.

The Soaring Eagles wouldn't go down easily to end the nightcap. A trio of walks loaded the bases for freshman infielder Daren Manheimer '21, who pinch-hit for his first-ever plate appearance. The rookie sparked a rally with his first collegiate hit, an RBI single. Bawiec, Fogarty, and Jansen Crossley '20 each followed with run-scoring singles as part of the five-run ninth inning, but the deficit was too steep to overcome.

News and Notes

• With a 2-12 Empire 8 record, the Soaring Eagles have been eliminated from postseason contention with four conference games remaining.
• Cottone posted his first career complete game in Saturday's opener.
• Cottone's six strikeouts are a single-game season-high for the 6-foot-5-inch junior hurler.
• Crossley extended his hitting streak to six consecutive games.
• Weir made his debut on the mound and recorded his first strikeout in the late game.
• Manheimer posted his first-ever hit, run, and RBI in the ninth inning of the finale.
• Bawiec produced the sixth multi-hit game of his senior season by going 2-for-5 in the nightcap.

Up Next
The Soaring Eagles will return to the friendly confines of historic Dunn Field on Tuesday, April 24, when Elmira hosts Wells College for a non-conference game. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.