ITHACA, N.Y. -- Underneath sunny skies at Ithaca College's Freeman Field, the Elmira College baseball team concluded its weekend series with a doubleheader against the Bombers on Sunday. Ithaca swept both games from the Soaring Eagles by scores of 8-0 and 11-1.

Ithaca 8, Elmira 0
Less than 24 hours after the series opener was decided in a narrow 8-7 contest, Ithaca (3-0) pitchers Buzz Shirley and Nate Scott combined to throw a two-hit shutout and blanked the Soaring Eagles (0-6). Shirley got the win with 6.0 innings and five strikeouts, and Scott faced the minimum in the final inning.

Elmira's Ray Mineo '22 made his first start as a Soaring Eagle in the first half of the twin bill. Mineo, a 6-foot-1 righty from Rochester, New York, tossed a season-high 5.0 innings and surrendered eight runs (five earned) with one strikeout. Steven Leopold '22 struck out one Bomber in his lone inning of work.

Ithaca 11, Elmira 1
The Soaring Eagles got off to a promising start in the nightcap, but the Bomber pitching staff worked its magic in critical moments to prevent Elmira from posting any crooked numbers on the scoreboard.

The top of the first began when Shane Hake '21 and Colin McLaughlin '22 slugged back-to-back doubles to drive in the game's first run. Jourdan Plaisted '21 and Luke Frontale '22 were each issued a base on balls, putting ducks on the pond with two away. Although Jacob Parker '24  was ahead in the count, 3-1, with a great RBI opportunity, Ithaca starter Kyle Lambert got the freshman to fly out to avoid further damage.

Down 6-1 in the sixth, the Soaring Eagles once again loaded the bases, but were unable to put a dent in the Ithaca lead. An Angus Adams '22 base hit, plus walks to Frontale and Michael Millross '24, had relief pitcher Matteo Ragusa in a bind, but Ragusa fanned Hake to strand the three men on base and end the inning.

News and Notes

• The Soaring Eagles finished the doubleheader with six hits, but boosted their on-base percentage with 10 walks and one hit-by-pitch.
• Adams and Parker each went 2-for-5 (.400) to lead Elmira at the plate.
• Hake and McLaughlin both legged out doubles in their only hit of the day.
• Frontale has reached base via hit or walk in all five games played to start 2021.
• Mineo's 5.0 innings in the opener were the most by a Soaring Eagle pitcher on Sunday.
• Robert Gruber '22 struck out two and allowed six runs (four earned) in 3.2 innings to start the late game.
• Jack Finnerty '23 tossed 3.0 innings of relief in the nightcap and led all EC pitchers with three strikeouts.

Up Next
Elmira will battle another former Empire 8 Conference opponent on Thursday, March 25, at historic Dunn Field. The 'Roos from SUNY Canton will visit the Southern Tier for a non-conference doubleheader, beginning at 2:00 p.m.