HORSEHEADS, N.Y. – The Elmira College baseball program honored its 2022 senior class on Saturday afternoon with a doubleheader split against Sage in Empire 8 action as the Soaring Eagles played their first games at Holding Point Recreation Park.

Elmira can clinch a postseason berth in the Empire 8 Tournament by sweeping Sage on Sunday or picking up one win to go along with two losses by Keuka.
 

GAME INFORMATION:
SCORE: Elmira 6, Sage 10 (Game One)
               Elmira 12, Sage 4 (Game Two)
TEAM RECORDS: Elmira (11-20-1, 6-11-1 Empire 8), Sage (12-24-1, 8-10-0 Empire 8)
LOCATION: Horseheads, New York | Holding Point Recreation Park
W|L|S: Colby Phelps (2-4) | Angus Adams (4-2) | None
            Ray Mineo (1-5) | William Simkin (1-7) | None


KEY MOMENT:
Elmira scored five runs in the bottom of the fourth inning of game one to trim the deficit to 8-6 as Brett Warden '25 highlighted the frame with a two-run single.

Logan Pizzullo '25 closed the game one on the mound for EC after entering the game in the second inning.

Luke Frontale '22 delivered a pair of big hits in game two for the Soaring Eagles, including a go-ahead two-run single in the first inning.

Ray Mineo '22 tossed five innings and scattered a pair of runs for Elmira as he earned his first win of the season.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Sage got things going early in game one as the Gators plated six runs in the top of the second inning to extend the lead to 7-0. Elmira would turn to the bullpen to get out of the second inning as Pizzullo entered with one out in the frame in relief of Angus Adams '22.

Trailing 8-0, Elmira plated its first run of the contest in the bottom of the third inning as Joe Morrone '22 doubled to allow Jared Money '22 to score and make it 8-1. The Soaring Eagles answered with a rally in the fourth inning as a pair of bases-loaded walks trimmed the deficit to 8-3. Following a sacrifice fly from Morrone, Warden trimmed the gap to 8-6 with a single to left field that allowed Money and James Delaney '22 to touch home.

The Soaring Eagles would have chances to knot the score but would be unable to push across any runs down the stretch. Sage provided itself with some breathing room as the Gators scored a pair of runs in the top of the seventh to extend the advantage to 10-6. Colby Phelps closed the game on the mound for the Gators after taking over in the fourth inning.

Sage opened game two with a run in the top of the first inning, but the Elmira offense provided Mineo with some early run support by scoring three runs in the bottom of the frame. A groundout by Ryan knotted the score 1-1 before Frontale delivered later in the inning with a single to right that plated a pair of runs.

Elmira scored four more runs in the second inning as Frontale highlighted the frame with a two-run single to center field that allowed Warden and Ryan to score and extend the lead to 7-1. Both sides worked a scoreless third inning, while Sage plated a run in the top of the fourth inning.

The Soaring Eagles added a pair of runs in the fifth and sixth innings as the lead stretched to 10-2 following a hit batter with Frontale at the plate and the bases loaded. Ryan added a run-scoring single in the sixth, while Warden followed with a double down the left-field line to make it 12-2.

Sage added a run in the seventh inning and another in the ninth inning to cut the deficit to 12-4. Jack Finnerty '23 and Michael Millross '24 each tossed scoreless relief efforts out of the bullpen for the Purple & Gold, while Kyle Tubbs '22 and Steve Leopold '22 each yielded a run in their respective innings of relief.
 

STATS:
Money, Morrone, Ryan, and Warden each recorded two-hit outings in game one for Elmira, while Morrone and Warden each added two RBI for the Soaring Eagles.

Ryan paced eight EC batters that recorded at least one hit in game two as he finished 4-for-5 at the plate with four RBI and two runs scored.

Frontale also added four RBI for EC, while Delaney scored four runs out of the leadoff spot for the Soaring Eagles.  
 

UP NEXT:
The Soaring Eagles wrap up the regular season on Sunday with a twin bill against Sage beginning at 1:00 p.m.