UTICA, N.Y. – A three-run lead for the Elmira College Baseball program late in game one would fall just short as the Utica University Pioneers rallied for a 4-3 victory on Saturday afternoon in Empire 8 Conference action before grabbing an 11-1 victory in game two of a doubleheader against the Soaring Eagles.
GAME INFORMATION:
SCORES: Elmira 3, Utica 4 (Game One)
Elmira 1, Utica 11 (Game Two)
TEAM RECORDS: Elmira (6-18, 3-8 Empire 8), Utica (18-8, 9-2 Empire 8)
LOCATION: Utica, New York | Utica Baseball Field
W|L|S: B. May (W, 2-0) | D. Kruis (L, 2-7) | None (Game One)
K. Knabe (W, 6-0) | J. Finnerty (L, 0-4) | None (Game Two)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The first runs of game one would come in the top of the third inning as Elmira would take a 1-0 lead following a run-scoring single from
Jourdan Plaisted '21 that allowed
Kaden Bolt '26 to score. Later in the frame,
Bryan Jimenez '25 placed a ball through the right side of the infield to allow
Chris Jones '25 and Plaisted to both score and increase EC's advantage to 3-0.
Down to its final at-bats of the contest in the bottom of the seventh inning, Utica rallied for four runs against the Purple & Gold as a bases-loaded walk trimmed the deficit to 3-1 for the Pioneers. A sacrifice fly later in the frame allowed a pair of runs to score which knotted the contest 3-3. Another sacrifice fly with one out allowed the winning run to score from third as the Pioneers secured a 4-3 victory.
Jimenez and Jones each recorded a pair of hits in the contest for Elmira, while starter
Jarek Podest '26 took a no-decision for the Soaring Eagles after scattering three hits through four innings of work.
David Kruis '23 was handed the loss after having all four runs charged to his line before
Kyle Tubbs '22 recorded both outs in the seventh inning.
In game two,
Jack Finnerty '23 kept the Utica offense off of the scoreboard through the first four innings. The Pioneers would break through on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth inning as four runs would score to give Utica a 4-0 advantage. The Soaring Eagles answered with a run in the top of the sixth inning as
Matteo Salvati '25 delivered a single that allowed Bolt to score and trim the deficit to 4-1.
Utica would follow with runs in each of the final three innings of the contest, including three in the bottom of the eighth inning to secure an 11-1 run-rule victory against the Soaring Eagles. Bolt, Salvati, Jimenez,
Kade Cochran '26, and
Jared Money '22 each notched a hit in the contest for the Soaring Eagles.
UP NEXT:
The Soaring Eagles wrap up their weekend series against the Pioneers on Sunday afternoon in Utica with a single 9-inning contest scheduled to begin at noon.