CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. — The Keuka College Baseball team was swept in an Empire 8 doubleheader on Saturday at Finger Lakes Community College in Canandaigua.  

Keuka College (8-22, 3-13 Empire 8) dropped the opener 4-2 to the Soaring Eagles. Elmira then defeated the Wolves 11-4 in game two on Saturday.

Elmira College 4 at Keuka College 2 – Game 1

Elmira College struck first in the second inning, taking advantage of a Keuka College error. The misplay extended the inning and a double scored the runner, who was attempting to steal on the pitch, from first base for the 1-0 lead.

A leadoff triple in the sixth for Elmira led to a sacrifice fly and a 2-0 lead, but the Wolves answered in the bottom of the inning.

Following a one-out walk by Josh Tryon (Elmira, N.Y. / Thomas A. Edison), Jackson Loper (Riverhead, N.Y. / Riverhead) singled for the Wolves. The duo advanced on a groundout. Shane Daley (Elma, N.Y. / Iroquois) delivered the big hit for Keuka. The sophomore tripled to center field to score Tryon and Loper and tie the game at 2-2.

Elmira instantly answered in the seventh. A leadoff single scored on a triple to give the Soaring Eagles the lead back. They would take a two-run lead following a sacrifice fly. The Wolves would go quietly in the seventh as Elmira won game one 4-2.

Lead Wolf: The big hit came from Daley, but Jared Beckley (Windsor, N.Y. / Windsor) made his final start in a Keuka College uniform. The senior went the distance for Keuka, throwing all seven innings, allowing just three earned runs, and struck out three.

Elmira College 11 at Keuka College 4 – Game 2

Keuka College took the lead first in game two. Loper and Daley walked to lead off the bottom of the second. A third walk loaded the bases with one out. Matt Vaccaro (Fayetteville, N.Y. / Fayetteville-Manlius) delivered the only hit of the inning for the Wolves. His two-out single up the middle plated Loper and Daley to give Keuka College the lead.

For the second straight inning in the third, the Wolves erased pressure from Elmira with a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.

Elmira College would break through in the fourth inning. The Soaring Eagles opened the inning with five straight singles scoring two runs and leaving the bases loaded with no outs. Starting pitcher Anthony Laurinitis (Philadelphia, Pa. / Father Judge) held them there. The sophomore struck out the next two batters and got a fly out to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

The Soaring Eagles took the lead 3-2 in the fifth as a leadoff single came around to score on a triple. A two-out, two-run single in the sixth extended Elmira's lead to 5-2.

The Wolves cut into the lead in the seventh. EJ Martinez (Guelph, Ont. / Our Lady of Lourdes) led off with a single. Tyler Lewandowski (Milltown, N.J. / Spotswood) followed with a single of his own. Matt Vaccaro looked to sacrifice them over but would reach on an error and a run would score as the throw got away. The Wolves traded an out for a run as Nolan Quinn (Aurora, Ohio / Walsh Jesuit) laid down a squeeze bunt to score a run to make it 5-4. Keuka would get the tying run to third base, but strand a pair as the Elmira remained ahead 5-4 after seven innings.

The Soaring Eagles put the game away in the eighth. Elmira had five runs on five hits and a Keuka error to stake a 10-4 lead. Elmira added another insurance run in the ninth as they defeated the Wolves 11-4 to sweep the doubleheader.

Lead Wolf: Tyler Lewandowski led the Wolves with a pair of hits in game two. Kole Schmerder (Vestal, N.Y. / Vestal) had only one hit, but it was a big one as he tripled in the eighth inning for Keuka College.

KC Notes:

• Keuka College is now 7-8-2 all-time against Elmira College
• The Wolves and Soaring Eagles are no strangers to the field at Finger Lakes Community College. Overall, it was the ninth time Keuka has hosted Elmira in a game and the fifth time that game was played at FLCC
• Jared Beckley posted a 3.17 earned run average on the season. It was the second-best earned run average in a season in program history
• Beckley finishes with a 4.06 ERA, the second-best in a career at Keuka College. He also is ranked in the top ten in wins and innings pitched
• Anthony Laurinitis struck out seven in five innings of work in game two. The sophomore extended his school record to 67 strikeouts this season. He also broke into the top ten on the career strikeout list. The sophomore has 85 in his career, eighth-most in program history

Up Next for Keuka College: Saturday was the penultimate gameday of the season for all of Keuka College Athletics. The Wolves and Soaring Eagles will close the 2022-23 season on Sunday on Kuhl Field at 1 p.m. Prior to the game will be the annual Senior Day Celebration as the members of the Class of 2023 on this year's team are honored.