Baseball Senior Day 2024
10
Winner UTICA UTICA 11-21, 5-7 EMPIRE 8
9
Elmira ELMIRABB 11-18, 7-9 EMPIRE 8
Winner
UTICA UTICA
11-21, 5-7 EMPIRE 8
10
Final
9
Elmira ELMIRABB
11-18, 7-9 EMPIRE 8
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
UTICA UTICA 0 2 0 2 1 0 0 1 4 10 17 3
Elmira ELMIRABB 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 5 9 9 1

W: Austin Rhodes (2-3) L: Finnerty, Jack (4-3) S: Connor Ford (2)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Ninth-Inning Comeback Falls Short as Elmira Drops Senior Day Matchup

HORSEHEADS, N.Y. – The Soaring Eagles held their senior day for the Elmira College baseball team before today's game, honoring Alex Gross '25, Michael Millross '24, Jacob Parker '25, Erik Charnetski '24, and Jack Finnerty '23. After trailing 10-4 entering the bottom of the ninth inning, the Purple & Gold mounted a comeback, scoring five runs in the frame. However, they could not drive in the game-tying run from second base and fell by a final of 10-9.

GAME INFORMATION:
SCORE: Elmira 9, Utica 10
TEAM RECORDS: Elmira (11-18, 7-9 E8), Utica (11-21, 5-7 E8)
LOCATION: Horseheads, New York | Holding Point Recreation Complex
W|L|S: A. Rhodes (W, 2-3) | J. Finnerty (L, 3-4) | C. Ford (2) - Game 1

HOW IT HAPPENED:

  • The contest began with a scoreless opening inning for both teams, with Elmira stranding a pair of runners in the bottom of the first.
  • The Pioneers broke through in the top of the second, hitting a solo home run to lead off the inning. They got another on an RBI double, taking a 2-0 lead after 1.5 innings.
  • The Soaring Eagles loaded the bases in the bottom of the third after Xander Canfield '26, Nathan Ofalt '26, and Charnetski all reached safely with two outs. EC left them stranded, however, after a strikeout ended the inning.
  • The visitors added two more in the top of the fourth, scoring on an RBI single and sacrifice fly to take a 4-0 lead. They would tack on another run in the top of the fifth on an RBI base hit.
  • The Soaring Eagles got on the board in the bottom of the fifth, with Canfield and Brady Buttice '26 leading off the inning with a first-pitch single and double, respectively. An RBI groundout by Ofalt brought Canfield to the plate, and Buttice scored on a Pioneer error, cutting EC's deficit to 5-2.
  • Elmira loaded the bases again in the bottom of the sixth when Connor Stone '26 reached on an error, and Canfield and Buttice followed with back-to-back walks. With the tying run on base, the Soaring Eagles struck out and grounded out to end the inning, leaving three more runners on base.
  • Charnetski led off the bottom of the seventh with a first-pitch double, while Matteo Salvati '25 followed up with a four-pitch walk. The two Soaring Eagles executed a double-steal, putting two runners in scoring position with no outs. A Gabe Fellows '25 groundout brought Carnetski to the plate, and Stone followed with a single to drive in Salvati, making it a one-run contest heading into the final two innings.
  • Utica got a run back in the following half-inning with a solo home run. After two more runners reached, Erik Berkan '27 came on in relief of Brennan Goin '26. Despite hitting a batter to load the bases, Berkan got back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning with just one run surrendered, and the Pioneers led 6-4 going into the bottom of the eighth.
  • Elmira gave up its third home run of the afternoon to lead off the top of the ninth. A two-run double and sacrifice fly later in the inning made it a 10-4 ballgame, and Elmira had three outs to make up a six-run deficit.
  • With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Buttice drove in Fellows with an RBI single. Ofalt followed that up by blasting a three-run home run, making the score 10-8 with one out remaining. Warden continued the offensive momentum with a single before scoring on an error, making it a one-run game and putting the tying run on second. However, the comeback attempt ended there, as the Pioneers forced a groundout to end the game.


UP NEXT:
The Soaring Eagles play their final home games of the regular season tomorrow, April 28, when they finish their series against the Pioneers with a doubleheader starting at noon.



 
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