ASTON, PA – The Elmira College baseball program battled the elements on Thursday as the Soaring Eagles recorded a doubleheader sweep against the University of Valley Forge from the Maplezone Sports Institute. Elmira scored early in game one to secure a 16-5 victory and rallied in the fifth inning of game two for a 21-11 victory.
 

GAME INFORMATION:
SCORES: Elmira 16, Valley Forge 5 (Game One) | Elmira 21, Valley Forge 11 (Game Two)
TEAM RECORDS: Elmira (3-1, 0-0 Empire 8), Valley Forge (0-2, 0-0 UEC)
LOCATION: Aston, Pennsylvania | Maplezone Sports Institute
W|L|S: J. Podest (W, 1-1) | L. Balermine (L, 0-1) | None (Game One)
            E. Berkan (W, 1-0) | E. Reinhart (L, 0-1) | None (Game Two)


HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The Soaring Eagles opened game one with four runs in the top of the first inning as Nick Lees '25 highlighted the scoring with a double down the left field line that plated a pair of runners.
• Jarek Podest '26 would make his second start of the season on the mound for Elmira and yielded one run in the first inning following a two-out single after hitting a pair of batters to open the frame.
• Kaden Bolt '26 added to the lead in the second inning as he notched his second hit, allowing Xander Canfield '26 to score on the play. Three more runs would score later in the frame as Lees delivered his second double of the contest for the Purple & Gold.
• Brett Warden '25 and Erik Charnetski '24 pushed the Elmira lead to 10-0 in the fourth inning as both delivered a solo home run on the first pitch of their respective at-bats against the Patriots.
• Valley Forge rallied for four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning as the Soaring Eagles used a pair of pitchers out of the bullpen. Justin Hyde '25 opened the frame on the mound before he handed the ball over to Luke Kraft '27 to get EC out of the jam.
• Elmira responded with five runs in the top of the seventh inning as the first two runs would cross following a pair of bases-loaded walks to Warden and Matteo Salvati '25. Brady Buttice '26 plated a pair of runners later in the frame with a double to left field as Warden and Salvati both scored.
• Kraft closed the game on the mound in the bottom of the seventh for the Purple & Gold as he navigated around a bases-loaded situation with three ground-ball outs to secure the victory. Podest improved to 1-1 on the season after scattering five hits through five innings of work to go along with five strikeouts for the Soaring Eagles.
• The rally in game two for the Soaring Eagles would come in the top of the fifth inning as Gabe Fellows '25 delivered a three-run triple into right field that would knot the score 11-11. Bolt later would give EC the lead for good with an infield single that scored Fellows.
• Chris Jones '25 closed the rally for the Purple & Gold with a three-run home run that extended the advantage to 17-11 through five innings.
• Elmira added four runs in the top of the seventh inning as Connor Stone '26 connected on a grand slam for the Purple & Gold to make the advantage 21-11. Erik Berkan '27 recorded his first collegiate victory on the mound for the Soaring Eagles after tossing 2.2 innings to go along with three strikeouts.

 
UP NEXT:
Elmira travels to Washington, D.C. for a pair of contests against Wells College on Friday and Albright College on Sunday.