Score: Elmira College 18, Wells College 10
Records: Elmira (4-23), Wells (11-15)
Location: Dunn Field -- Elmira, N.Y.

ELMIRA, N.Y. -- The Elmira College baseball team scored at least one run in seven of the eight innings in which the team came to the plate, including a pair of five-spots, as the Soaring Eagles defeated Wells College, 18-10, in a non-conference game at Dunn Field on Tuesday afternoon.

EC plated a season-best 18 runs while tying a single-game high with 16 hits against the Express. Eight different players recorded a hit, and 10 Soaring Eagles scored a run. Conor Bawiec '18, Tommy Fogarty '20, and Nate Hanner '18 each posted three hits, and both Bawiec and Hanner drove in four runs apiece.

After scoring thrice in the first, the Purple and Gold expanded the margin to 8-1 with a five-run second inning, thanks to a pair of two-run doubles from Bawiec and Hanner. Although Elmira added one run in the third and two more in the fourth, the Express combined to score six in those two innings to trim the deficit down to 11-7. 

Hanner smacked the loudest hit of the game in the fifth inning, a home run over the 20-foot-high fence in left field. The long ball was the first of the year for the senior from Genoa City, Wisconsin, and the third of his career, and it came despite steady gusts blowing in from the outfield. After starting the spring without a hit in his first 18 at-bats, Hanner finished a triple shy of the cycle on Tuesday.

Leading 13-10, the Soaring Eagles put some breathing run between themselves and the Express by tacking on five more runs in the bottom of the eighth. After being walked to lead-off the frame, both Sam Plaugher '20 and Bryce Plante '18 came around to score on another double slugged by Bawiec into the gap in right-center. Tommy Fogarty '20 and Nick Sampogna '18 each followed with base knocks. The former then scored on a Jansen Crossley '20 RBI groundout, and the latter trotted in from second on a Jourdan Plaisted '21 single that the freshman catcher pulled into right.

On the mound, Andy Reed '19 improved to 2-2 as a junior by earning the victory in relief. The third-year southpaw surrendered two runs (one earned) in 3.1 innings out of the bullpen. He was followed by Joe Kidd '18, who tossed 2.0 innings of one-run ball.

In Their Own Words…
Head Coach Corey Paluga when asked about Elmira's approach at the plate against Wells…
"They did a great job of just being aggressive. I think where we have hurt ourselves this season is when we get defensive or passive at the plate. To see several guys throughout the lineup be aggressive is a great sign."

Coach Paluga on the team's confidence after scoring eight runs in the first two innings…
"Anytime you can score early in a game, it certainly boosts the morale and boosts the energy a little bit. Even in games where you're not scoring runs early, that's kind of been our focus and what we continue to talk about: keeping the energy regardless of what the scoreboard says."

Coach Paluga on giving Nick Sampogna time in right field in the past few games…
"He continues to swing the bat really well, and we're trying to find opportunities to get his bat in the lineup. With playing right field, he's a player that just hustles. He plays hard every single play, and he doesn't take any off. We've always seen that on the mound, but when you see him running around in the field, he's just somebody that plays the game extremely hard."

Coach Paluga on Nate Hanner's three-hit performance…
"We've been expecting him to break out for a long time. It's great to see it happen now, at home especially. We hope that he can continue that momentum."

News and Notes

• The win over Wells is the fourth of the season for Elmira and the third at historic Dunn Field this spring.
• EC improved to 3-1 all-time against the Express.
• The Soaring Eagles registered season highs in runs (18), RBIs (16), and stolen bases, while tying their single-game best for hits (16).
• Hanner's home run is his third as a Soaring Eagle, and his four RBIs are a career high.
• Bawiec tied a career high with four RBIs in his second three-hit game of the season.
• Dennis Rudolph '18 produced his team-leading 11th multi-hit game by going 2-for-4.
• Plante was one run shy of the program single-game record by scoring four times against the Express.
• Plaisted logged the first multi-hit game of his freshman year by going 2-for-3 with his first career RBI.

Up Next
Elmira's doubleheader against Medaille College, originally scheduled for Wednesday, April 25, has been canceled. The Soaring Eagles will return to action on Thursday, April 26, when they travel to Keuka College to face the Wolves at 4:30 p.m.