By: Rebekah Rivette and Anthony Sorbellini
Saugerties, NY- After a two-hour rain delay the night of a doubleheader, the Elmira Pioneers beat the Saugerties Stallions 10-6 Monday night in Saugerties. In a make-up game from a month ago that seemed to be going Saugerties way, Elmira managed to string together 18 hits, including 17 singles.
The game was originally scheduled for June 27 but lasted only two innings due to rain. Cameron Comer (University of Virginia) had an RBI-ground out in that game, that scored Dillon Lifrieri (Arkansas) giving Saugerties a 1-0 lead.
Players and fans watched the tarp come on and off the field for two hours, waiting to hear the official verdict on whether or not the two teams would finally be able to play each other. Finally, around 6 p.m., the first pitch was thrown in the top of the third inning. The game was still favoring Saugerties, as Tyler Kelder (St. Bonaventure) doubled in the bottom of the inning, scoring Comer. Noah Searcy (Georgia Southern) grounded out to score Kelder and make it 3-0 Saugerties.
With one out in the top of the fourth, Tom Henderson (UC Berkeley) singled with bases loaded. Colin Davis (Wofford) and Tanner Johnson (Kentucky) scored, making it a 3-2 game, with Saugerties still in the lead.
Elmira blew the game open with a 10-hit fifth inning. Johnson and Blaine Smith (Samford) had back-to-back singles, scoring Liam Hibbits (VCU), Anthony Nucerino (UConn) and Davis. Logan Teske (Angelo State) came in to pitch, replacing Max Hunter (Dartmouth), but the Pioneers were not done hitting yet.
Henderson and Jordan Westburg (Mississippi State) also had back-to-back singles, allowing Johnson and Smith to score. Elmira batted around in the top of the fifth, starting the inning off with eight consecutive singles. With Hibbits up to bat again, a passed ball was all it took to score Mason Ruhlman (Riverland CC). Hibbits joined the hit club with a single that scored Henderson. Nucerino singled, scoring Westburg, giving Elmira a 10-3 lead.
Saugerties answered in the bottom of the sixth inning with a three-run home run from Cam Coakley (Stetson) to cut the lead to 10-6.
Saugerties would have their chances in the later innings but were unable to capitalize on their chances.
Hunter took the loss for the Stallions, while Rhyse Dee (Wake Forest) picked up the win for the Pioneers.
Thirty minutes following the conclusion of the first game, the second game of the doubleheader began with Jimmy Ramsey (Kentucky) getting the start for Elmira and Austin Dreher (Daytona State) getting the start for Saugerties.
Elmira threatened early in the top half of the first inning. Dreher worked out of a bases loaded jam when he got Pioneers designated hitter Henderson to fly out to centerfield to end the inning.
Saugerties had their chances. They left runners on the corners in the bottom of the second. And in the third inning, they wasted a one-out triple off the bat of left fielder James Gargano (Butler).
Elmira broke the scoreless tie in the fourth inning after Ruhlman hit a single, scoring Davis, to give Elmira a 1-0 lead.
Elmira added to their lead in the fifth inning after Craig Corliss (Siena) hit an RBI-single, scoring Johnson, giving them a 2-0 lead over Saugerties.
They would add another run after Corliss was hit by a pitch to score Smith, making the lead 3-0. Davis followed with an RBI-single to give Elmira a 4-0 lead. A passed ball later on added another run for the Pioneers, as they opened up the game with a 5-0 lead.
An error led to another run for the Pioneers, making the score 6-0 which Elmira would hold onto to sweep the doubleheader.
Ramsey earned the win, throwing a complete game shutout, for Elmira, while Dreher took the loss for Saugerties.
Elmira plays again tomorrow, July 24 at the Amsterdam Mohawks while Saugerties plays at the Albany Dutchmen.
