Score: RIT 6, Elmira College 2
Records: RIT (13-11), Elmira (4-25)
Location: Dunn Field -- Elmira, N.Y.

ELMIRA, N.Y. -- In Elmira College's first-ever baseball game back in March of 2015, the Soaring Eagles took a bruising against a veteran squad from Rochester Institute of Technology. Fast-forward to a brisk Friday night at historic Dunn Field, where the Soaring Eagles showed just how far they've come despite ending up on the losing end of a 6-2 decision against the Tigers.

RIT, which made its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance after winning a Liberty League crown in 2017, won that initial meeting by a lopsided 18-2 score. While the Soaring Eagles may be in the midst of a tough 2018 campaign, they put an early scare into the Tigers and were well within reach of the lead the entire night.

Elmira scored the first runs of the game in the second inning and quickly chased RIT starter Jameson Moran from the mound. Singles by Nate Hanner '18, Harrison Zambarano '19, and Jansen Crossley '20 loaded the bases, and with two outs, Cameron Heggie '18 whacked the first pitch he saw from Moran into the right-center gap. Both Hanner and Zambarano hustled home on the hit to put the Soaring Eagles up 2-0.

A full-count walk issued by Moran to Bryce Plante '18 in the next at-bat re-loaded the bases for the Purple and Gold, but valuable runs were stranded when Moran caught Conor Bawiec '18 looking at the third strike to end the inning.

Although the Soaring Eagles were able to send eight men to the plate in the second and produce three hits in the frame, the RIT bullpen – mainly Nick Claver – was able to shut down the EC batters for the remainder of the contest. Claver faced one batter over the minimum in 6.0 innings of one-hit ball and struck out eight on 75 pitches. 

The lone hit Claver allowed was an infield single off the bat of Dennis Rudolph '18 in the fourth inning. Rudolph moved to second on an errant throw and reached third on a groundout for the second out of the inning. It looked as if he would score on a ground ball hit by Heggie to the hole at short, but the umpire called the senior outfielder out at first on a bang-bang play.

In the top of the fourth, the Tigers tied the game at 2-all on a home run hit by Daniel Capra. RIT took the lead for good in the next inning on a Jason Schulz RBI triple that landed just inside the right-field line. With his team ahead 5-2 in the ninth, Schulz added a solo homer to increase the Tigers' advantage to four runs.

Junior right-hander Nick Cottone '19 took the loss for Elmira after surrendering four runs on four hits and four walks in 5.0 innings. Cottone struck out a season-high-tying six, increasing his season total to 37. Anthony Colegrove '18 allowed one unearned run in 2.0 innings out of the bullpen, and Noah Gulino '19 finished the game by striking out both batters he faced in the ninth.

News and Notes

• Elmira is 0-2 all-time against RIT, the team's first-ever opponent in the inaugural 2015 season.
• At Dunn Field in 2018, the Soaring Eagles are 3-5, with Friday's loss snapping a three-game home win streak.
• Cottone has struck out a season-high six batters in each of his last two starts.
• Gulino's appearance was his second of the scoreless variety as a reliever in 2018.
• Rudolph added to his team lead in hits with his 34th of the year.
• Zambarano has a hit in three consecutive games.
• Heggie tied a season-high with two RBIs against the Tigers.

Up Next
Should the weather cooperate, the Soaring Eagles will host SUNY Canton in an Empire 8 Conference contest on Saturday, April 28, at Dunn Field. Class of 2018 Recognition Day will be celebrated before the 6:00 p.m. first pitch.