Score: Elmira College 11, Hilbert College 5
Records: Elmira (3-18), Hilbert (6-15)
Location: Dunn Field -- Elmira, N.Y.

ELMIRA, N.Y. -- The Elmira College baseball team scored early and often and received six quality innings out of the bullpen en route to an 11-5 non-conference victory over the visiting Hawks of Hilbert College at historic Dunn Field on Friday afternoon.

The win is the second in the past four games for the Soaring Eagles, who hope to turn around a trying start to the 2018 campaign in the second half of the spring season. The win also kicks off a busy weekend in which EC will travel to No. 10 SUNY Cortland and the University of Rochester for doubleheaders over the next two days.

The Elmira batters scored at least one run in six of eight innings thanks to a season-high 16 hits, including a season-best five doubles. Eight of the nine starters in the lineup recorded a hit, paced by No. 2 hitter Conor Bawiec '18 and clean-up man Tommy Fogarty '20, who both finished 3-for-4 with a double. Dennis Rudolph '18 and Matt van Muelken '18 both went 2-for-3, with the former driving in a game-high three RBIs and the latter plating a pair of runs.

Starting second baseman Sam Plaugher '20 and pinch-hitters Mark Ryan '21 and Justin Iannotto '20 also clubbed two-baggers for the Purple and Gold.

Jansen Crossley '20 opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning with a bases-loaded, two-run single that put EC ahead 2-1. Rudolph added a sac fly in the second inning to extend Elmira's lead to 3-1 for starting pitcher Nick Cottone'19, who picked up two of his three outs in the top of the frame with a pair of punch outs. Cottone started and ended the third with strikeouts, too, but the Hawks scored thrice to regain a 4-3 lead and left the bases loaded.

The Soaring Eagles turned the tides with a combined six runs in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings. In the fifth with the score knotted at 4-all, Bryce Plante '19 led off with a walk and scored the go-ahead run on the second of back-to-back balks by Hibert starter Daniel Munn. van Muelken widened the gap to 6-4 with a line drive into left that drove in Crossley. RBI singles by Rudolph, Fogarty, and van Muelken in the sixth inning gave EC a comfortable cushion, 9-4.

Meanwhile, Joe Kidd '18 entered out of the bullpen to start the fourth and proceeded to toss 4.0 innings of one-run ball. He struck out three Hawks without surrendering a walk on 42 pitches to secure his first win in the longest outing of his senior year. Freshman Taber Carter '21 and sophomore Garinder Singh Sarana '20 both threw a hitless inning in the eighth and ninth, respectively, to close out the non-conference victory.

In Their Own Words…
Head Coach Corey Paluga when asked about the home win over Hilbert…
"Since we've kind of been up and down over the last two weeks, to finally put a more complete game together is good to see, especially as we get ready for the second half of the conference schedule."

Coach Paluga on Joe Kidd's ability to quiet the Hilbert bats out of the bullpen…
"He attacked the zone. That's something that, going back to last year, he did really well, and I think at times that's really hurt him earlier this season, not attacking the strike zone, putting more pressure on the hitters, making them swing the bat and allowing the defense to make plays." 

Coach Paluga when asked about having several players contributing at the plate...
"It is definitely a good sign. That's what we're going to need. There are going to be days where they're not going to be at their best, and we're going to need other parts of the lineup to step up. Ultimately that is what we're trying to find, balance throughout the lineup, as opposed to relying on half of the lineup – top or bottom – to get runs."

Coach Paluga when asked about Jack Donnelly '19 earning his first at-bat in nearly two years after missing his entire sophomore season with an injury…
"He means a lot to our team, and he's worked extremely hard to come back from last year. He was rewarded because he continues to work hard, and that goes for anybody on our team. If we notice guys are putting in the time and the effort to work hard in practice, then they need to be rewarded, and that was a perfect opportunity to get him an at-bat."

Coach Paluga on what he hopes to see the Soaring Eagles carry over from Friday's win into the weekend series with nationally-ranked SUNY Cortland and the University of Rochester…
"Putting good at-bats together. A lot of the balls that we put in play today were hit hard, whether they were at somebody or they found a hole. That's what we need to continue to do, just put good metal on the ball and not just weak contact. If we can maximize hard contact throughout the game, then we're going to get guys on base and play the game that we know how to play."

News and Notes

• Elmira improved to 3-18 overall and 2-4 in home games in 2018.
• The Soaring Eagles are 3-3 all-time against Hilbert, with all six games having been played at Dunn Field.
• EC logged season highs in hits (16), doubles (5), and stolen bases (5).
• Kidd earned his first win of the season and the fourth of his collegiate career.
• Cottone tied a season high with five strikeouts.
• Kidd, Cottone, and Carter each made their seventh appearances on the mound in 2018, tied for the most by an EC pitcher.
• Rudolph drove in a season-high three runs in his ninth multi-hit game of the year.
• Bawiec's three hits marked a season-high for the senior.
• Fogarty pieced together his sixth multi-hit game and scored a season-high three runs.
• Ryan slugged the first extra-base hit of his career with a pinch-hit double.
• Shane Hake '20 made the second consecutive start of his debut season in left field.
• Iannotto appeared at the plate for just the second time in 2018 against Hilbert and is a perfect 2-for-2 at the dish.
• Donnelly swung the bat for the first time since May 3, 2016, after missing all of 2017 due to injury.

Up Next
The Soaring Eagles will face the No. 10-ranked Red Dragons of SUNY Cortland in a doubleheader on Saturday, April 14, beginning at 12:00 p.m. The twin bill signals the first-ever meeting between EC and the national contenders from Cortland and is Elmira's first outing of 2018 against a ranked opponent.