WINTER HAVEN, Fla. -- The Elmira College baseball team finished its spring break trip on a high note, as the Soaring Eagles downed Castleton University by a 10-1 final score on Saturday morning in their final game at the 2020 RussMatt Central Florida Invitational.

The Soaring Eagles (2-4) received another outstanding performance on the mound against the Spartans (0-1), this time from junior right-hander Taber Carter '21. Carter, who took the loss in the season-opening game against Brandeis, shook off that performance and turned in the best outing of his collegiate career with 8.0 shutout innings. The Hannibal, New York, native walked the first batter he faced but recovered to strike out a career-high eight.

With Carter dealing, the EC batters posted a combined eight runs in the third, fourth, and fifth innings to take a commanding lead over the Spartans. With two outs and two runners in scoring position, Jansen Crossley '20 sliced a two-run single down the left-field line to break a scoreless draw in the third inning. A trio of errors on the Castleton defense resulted in four Elmira runs, extending the lead to 6-0.

In the top of the fifth, the Soaring Eagles loaded the bases with singles from Tommy Fogarty '20 and Joey Florio '20, and a walk issued to Max Nolter '22. Although Castleton reliever Garrett Moran responded with two consecutive strikeouts, Jared Money '22 came up with a clutch two-run hit to make it 8-0 Elmira.

Money added an unearned run in the eighth, while Florio and Nolter slugged back-to-back doubles in the ninth to drive in Elmira's 10th run of the contest.

In Their Own Words
Head coach Corey Paluga on Taber Carter's outstanding start on Saturday morning…
"Taber really attacked the strike zone today and was able to command his fastball inside and outside to keep their hitters from getting comfortable."

News and Notes

• Elmira improved to 2-4 with a win in the last game of the team's Florida trip.
• The Soaring Eagles lead the all-time series against Castleton, 1-0, after winning the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
• EC recorded season highs in runs (10), hits (11), RBIs (8) and doubles (4).
• Carter and reliever Corey DeMauro '20 combined to surrender a season-low six hits and one run.
• Carter's 8.0 innings and eight strikeouts are both career bests, and the win marked his first as a Soaring Eagle.
• Florio (3), Crossley (2), and Sam Plaugher '20 (2) each had multiple hits.
• Money finished 1-for-2 with three runs and three RBIs from the nine-hole in the lineup.

Up Next
On Saturday, February 29, the Soaring Eagles will travel to Westminster, Maryland, for a doubleheader against McDaniel College. The opening game against the Green Terror is set for 12:00 p.m.