Myrtle Beach, SC – In a wild game that featured an Elmira eight-run first inning, SUNY Canton tying it late, but then the Soaring Eagles putting together another big inning, the Roos started their Palmetto State Spring Break Trip with a 12-8 defeat to the Elmira Soaring Eagles Saturday.

THE BASICS

• Result: Elmira 12, SUNY Canton 8
• Location: Socastee High School – Myrtle Beach, SC
• Records: SUNY Canton (1-1) | Elmira (7-3)

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The visiting Roos led off the top of the first inning with a single by AJ Campi followed by a double by Sal Diaz but were unable to score in the inning.  
• The Soaring Eagles then grabbed all the momentum early with a three-run homer in the bottom of the first, then five more runs in the inning. Elmira accumulated six hits and sent 12 batters to the plate to go up 8-0.
• SUNY Canton continued to battle, though, and got their first run in the top of the fourth. The inning started with singles by Chris McLean and Mark Maybee Jr., then a flyball moved McLean to third with the center fielder scoring on a wild pitch.
• The Roos broke through in the fifth inning, beginning with an RBI double by Eliezer Vázquez with the first baseman later scoring on a fielder's choice. McLean then doubled to plate the fourth SUNY Canton run in the game, then Liam Hohertz knocked an RBI pinch-hit single to bring the game to 8-5.
• Zander Johnson finished with five innings, battling through a tough first inning, but locking in and pitching four-straight scoreless after that. The Wells transfer also finished recording eight of his 15 total outs as strikeouts.
• Another run came across the plate in the top of the sixth off a Sal Diaz double, then a wild pitch, and finally, Vázquez's groundball sent Diaz bounding for home and the Roos were within a pair.
• SUNY Canton got a bit closer off the bat off McLean who led off the seventh with a home run to left and the Roos trailed just 8-7.
• The one-run-an-inning motif continued into the eighth with a Lance Phillips Jr. single, then the Soaring Eagles failed to get an out with an error on a fielder's choice, putting runners on second and first with one out. Mark Maybee Jr. walked, to juice the bags, but Elmira got a crucial strikeout. However, Zach Baiani made up for this with his first hit of the day, a single into right and SUNY Canton scored their eighth unanswered run to knot the score at 8.
• After six innings of no offensive results by the Soaring Eagles, they immediately responded with a leadoff walk, a single, plus a wild pitch to move two runners into scoring position with nobody out. Roos reliever Maxwell Rose then pitched a strikeout, and fielded a 1-3 groundout, but then SUNY Canton suffered some two-out damage with an Elmira base hit to plate two, followed by a 2-run home run as the Soaring Eagles regained a comfortable lead at 12-8 heading into the Roos final at-bats. 
• Down four in the top of the ninth, the Roos attempted to mount a final rally and got some help with Diaz and Vázquez getting plunked in consecutive at-bats. Although, SUNY Canton could not make anything out of it with two groundballs as Elmira secured the wild game 12-8.  

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• McLean tallied seven bases with his homer, double, and single to finish a triple shy of the cycle. His home run was his first in a Roos uniform and the fourth of his collegiate career. Diaz had two doubles, and Phillips Jr. and Maybee Jr. both had two-hit days as well.
• On the bump, Johnson finished with five innings, seven earned runs, and eight punchouts. Rose pitched the final three innings, allowing four runs on five hits in his first appearance this year.
• Elmira had four players with at least three hits, including Brady Buttice, who was 4-for-5 with the game winning 2-RBI single in the eight. Connor Stone and Jordan Barthel had homers in the game. Michael Polsinelli had a solid start for the Soaring Eagles, allowing just one earned run in 4.2 innings. Matthew Schultz closed out the win with 1.2 innings of scoreless baseball to earn the win.
• Hits were nearly even with Elmira at 17 and SUNY Canton at 15. The Soaring Eagles committed five errors in the field while the Roos were at two. SUNY Canton had plenty of chances to score more runs in the contest, leaving 14 men on base in the game.

WHAT'S NEXT?
The Roos are back in action in Myrtle Beach on Sunday when they square off with Penn State Beaver for a doubleheader beginning at 6 p.m.    

Discover SUNY Canton, where innovation meets opportunity. The college's career-focused educational programs emphasize hands-on and applied learning opportunities in digital design, engineering technology, health, information technology, management, public service, and veterinary technology. Faculty members bring real-world experience and exceptional academic expertise to the classroom. As a leader in online education, SUNY Canton offers unmatched flexibility with hundreds of courses and 25 comprehensive degree programs offered completely online. The SUNY Canton Kangaroos compete at the NCAA Division III level and are members of the SUNYAC. In addition to its 15 traditional teams, SUNY Canton offers coed varsity esports and cheerleading.