DuBOIS, PA. – The Elmira College baseball team traveled to DuBois, Pennsylvania on Tuesday evening, and were unable to come away with a win after dropping a pair to the Nittany Lions. In the losses, Francis Milone '26 would be the top offensive performer for the Soaring Eagles, homering for the third time this season, this time in grand slam fashion, as the first-year finished with four RBI on the evening.
GAME INFORMATION:
SCORE (G1): Elmira 4, Penn State-Dubois 7
SCORE (G2): Elmira 6, Penn State-Dubois 9
TEAM RECORDS: Elmira (2-9, 0-0 Empire 8), Penn State-DuBois (2-4, 0-0 PSUAC)
LOCATION: DuBois, Pennsylvania | Showers Field
W|L|S (G1): E. Olinger (W, 1-0) | J. Finnerty (L, 1-2) | J. Romano (1)
W|L|S (G2): C. Cherry (W, 1-1) | D. Kruis (L, 0-5) | A. Mitchell (1)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
In game one, the Soaring Eagles would jump on the board early, putting four runs up without producing a hit in the inning after using two Penn State-Dubois errors to its advantage, as the Soaring Eagles scored pair of runs following an error from the Nittany Lions which plated a pair and concluded the first frame scoring with Colin McLaughlin '22 at the dish.
After Jack Finnerty '23 pitched a scoreless first, the junior was tabbed for five runs in the second after allowing three hits and a pair of walks in 0.2 innings of work in the second. After Finnerty exited the game with the score knotted at 4-4, Matthew Shultz '26 would allow an RBI single which would conclude Finnerty's line of 1.2 IP, allowing five runs (all earned) on three hits while walking a pair and striking out three.
The scoring on both sides would go quiet until the sixth, as Schultz finished his outing after the third inning, tossing 1.1 innings of scoreless ball where he allowed just one hit and struck out one Nittany Lion. Followed by Schultz, it would be Justin Hyde '25 who would keep the Soaring Eagles within one run, after going 2.0 innings of scoreless ball while striking out a pair. Marco Macri '26 would round out the pitching efforts for Elmira, allowing a pair of runs (both earned) over 2.0 innings of work, allowing one walk and striking out a batter.
The Soaring Eagles were unable to put together any additional offense besides a pair of hits following the first inning, as Brett Warden '25 and Jarod Signorelli '23 each finished with a hit.
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In game two, it would be the Nittany Lions who would strike first against Elmira starting pitcher David Kruis '23, doing so in the second inning. After tossing a scoreless first, Kruis would be tabbed with three runs on four hits in the second, which concluded his day with a final line score of 2.0 IP, three runs (all earned) on four hits, while walking one and striking out three.
After Carter Wisely '25 would come on to pitch a perfect third inning, Steve Leopold '22 would pitch the fourth where the Nittany Lions would jump on the Soaring Eagles for an additional five runs to increase its lead to 8-0 in the contest. In all, Leopold would allow four runs (all earned) on a pair of hits, two singles that would each bring home a pair.
The Soaring Eagles wouldn't go away easy, putting all six of its runs up in the top half of the fifth inning against Owen Graham. In the inning, Nick Lees '25 would lead off with a single before a walk from Signorelli set up Jared Money '22 and Kaden Bolt '26 for base hits to bring home a run and trim the deficit to 8-1. With Milone being called upon to pinch-hit, the freshman would lift a grand slam to cut down the Nittany Lion lead just 8-5. From there, it would be Lees who would come around again in the inning, doubling home Warden who singled earlier in the inning.
The fifth inning would conclude the Elmira scoring, as PSU-Dubois answered with a run in the sixth, concluding the scoring for the game. Lees would finish the evening with a pair of hits in the loss, while five other Soaring Eagles produced a hit a piece.
UP NEXT:
The Soaring Eagles will return to the diamond and begin Empire 8 Conference play this upcoming weekend when traveling to Houghton to take on the Highlanders with a single-contest on Friday (4:00 PM) before playing a pair on Saturday at 1:00 PM and 4:00 PM.
