Pios Stumble into Second Half, 6-3

The Pioneers have seen what you could call good luck over the last few days, or maybe you'd call it bad luck. After getting paused in just the top of the 1st inning in a game on Tuesday vs Newark, a complete game was put in the books the next night as Batavia walked out of Dunn Field with a 9-7 victory. Off days built in to the schedule were much appreciated, and the weather yesterday stripped the squad of an exhibition vs Mansfield. Being 3 days since the last game action, Elmira hopped on the bus for Niagara to take on the Power.

Nate Scott was brilliant over his last couple starts, and looked to continue his surge as Andy Drum gave him the starting nod at Sal Maglie Stadium. The home side went with Sam Stoutenborough who picked up his first win of the season in his last start up in Batavia 8 days ago.

Both sides exchanged hits back and forth over the first four innings as each starter pushed on with relative ease. Until in the bottom of the fifth inning, Niagara managed to put 5 runs across to jump out to a 5-0 lead, forcing Scott out of the game. An error by Donovan Montgomery that allowed the first run to score and a two run RBI double from Noah Marcelo with one out were the big blows.

In the top of the seventh inning, a couple of long fly balls and a Gil Merod single brought Bobby Marsh around the basepaths to cut the deficit to four, 5-1, on Power reliever Seth Tomczak.

Zachary Bayfield allowed a sixth Niagara run in the bottom of the eighth. Marcelo was drilled by a pitch, stole second, and had a couple sac flys and a free pass make it a 6-1 Power game heading to the ninth.

Dom Popa and Merod both put RBI singles to the scoreboard, but the rally wouldn't serve as enough as the Pioneers dropped the game by a 6-3 margin.

Elmira's back in action tonight at 7:05pm to battle the Power in the second half of a home-and-home. With plenty of tickets still available, call the box office at (607) 734-7290 and get yours now.