Pioneers Begin Play in 2026 Campaign

ELMIRA, NY—The Elmira Pioneers opened their 2026 regular season, Friday night, at Dunn Field, in a 9-6 loss to the Batavia Muckdogs.

The game was highlighted by the starting performance of Pioneers’ Landon Burch, who began the game gaining three of the first four outs by strikeout. Landon Burch would finish his day pitching five innings, striking out ten batters and allowing two runs (only one earned run).

The scoring would begin in the second inning, with a bases loaded hit-by-pitch on Michael Gardner, and a bases clearing double by Brett Baker giving Elmira an early 4-0 lead. The next inning, first-baseman, Ryan Kristof would hit a single that sent home a baserunner that gave the Pioneers a 5-0 lead.

The Muckdogs would string together a pair of scoring innings to cut the lead down to two, until the seventh inning saw a wild pitch bring home one more to make the score 6-3. The eighth inning saw Batavia score six unanswered runs which required three separate pitchers to escape, including Larsen Burch recording the last two outs of the inning.

Sam Watts would strikeout the side in the top half of the ninth, but a strong closing performance by Batavia’s Eric Woodly held the Pioneers scoreless to end their opening day festivities.

Baker’s bat dominated the contest, with three of the four Elmira hits coming from him, alongside 3 RBI.

The Pioneers continue their 136^th season on Saturday, May 30, with a trip to Dwyer Stadium to face the Batavia Muckdogs, at 6:30.

By Anthony La Bonté