SOCASTEE, S.C. – The Elmira College baseball team traveled to Myrtle Beach, SC for a Saturday morning matchup against the Roos of SUNY Canton to conclude the Ripken Experience. The Soaring Eagles scored two runs late, helping push them to a victory over SUNY Canton in the final game of the Ripken Experience.

PLAY-BY-PLAY
SUNY Canton put the pressure on early opening the game with a single and a double by their first two hitters. A double play on a lineout followed by a huge strikeout recorded by Michael Polsinelli Jr. got the Soaring Eagles out of the inning unscathed and kept the game scoreless. Kaden Bolt got Elmira started with walk. He stole second on the first pitch to CJ Wheaton and then Wheaton followed with a single to put runners on the corners. Jordan Barthel worked a long at-bat, ending it by launching a full count pitch over the right center field fence for a three-run homerun. Brady Buttice and Connor Stone followed that up with back-to-back singles to put two more runners on. A walk to Xander Canfield loaded the bases with nobody out. Ben Intili hit a single through the left side to bring home Buttice to score, pushing the advantage to 4-0 EC. Bolt followed by sending a ball into the right center field gap for a double, and clearing the bases as all three runners came into score. Bolt scored off of an error on a groundball hit by Wheaton, as the Soaring Eagles took an 8-0 advantage after the first inning. The Roos responded by loading the bases with one out in the second. A force out at the plate and a flyout to left got Polsinelli out of the jam and once again kept the Roos of the scoreboard. Buttice and Stone started the second off for Elmira with consecutive singles. Brandon Policar singles two batters later to load the bases with Soaring Eagles. EC was unable to push any runs across in the inning and the score remained 8-0 heading into the third. SUNY Canton responded by scoring a run in the fourth, cutting the EC advantage to 8-1. Elmira had a scoring opportunity in the fourth with two runners on but could not push any runs across.

SUNY Canton added four runs in the top of the fifth, taking the momentum away from the Soaring Eagles. The Roos pushed across another run in the sixth inning, cutting the EC advantage to 8-6. Ths Roos scored another run in the seventh, making it a one run game entering the bottom of the seventh. Canfield singled and Policar walked to give Elmira a couple base runners in the seventh. A double-play groundball ended the inning as the score remained 8-7 going into the eighth. SUNY Canton added another run in the eighth inning, evening up the score at 8 runs each. Intili led off the inning with a walk for the Soaring Eagles, followed by a walk to Bolt. Buttice singled up the middle with two outs, driving home both runs, and putting EC back in front 10-8. Stone followed that up by sending a ball over the left field fence for a two-run homerun that gave EC a 12-8 advantage. Matthew Schultz came back out to pitch the ninth, as the Soaring Eagles held on for the victory, 12-8.

LEADERS
Offensively, Bolt led the way, going 3-4 with a double, while driving home three runs and scoring three times. Buttice went 4-5 with a pair of RBIs and tallying two runs scored. Stone went 3-5, with a home run, notching two RBIs and a pair of runs scored. Barthel launched a home run in his only plate appearance of the game.
 
UP NEXT
The Soaring Eagles return for their home opener at the Holding Point Recreation Center on Friday, March 13^th where they host the Bobcats of Bryant and Stratton College. First pitch is to be announced.