Baseball Splits Regular Season Finale Against Rivier University

HOLYOKE, Mass. - The Elms College Baseball team hosted Rivier University for the final conference doubleheader of the regular season on Sunday afternoon at Mackenzie Stadium.

BASICS
Game 1
Score: Elms College 6 | Rivier University 11
Records: Blazers 12-21, 6-13 (GNAC) | Raiders 14-20, 7-12 (GNAC)

Game 2
Score: Elms College 8 | Rivier University 6
Records: Blazers 13-21, 7-13 (GNAC) | Raiders 14-21, 7-13 (GNAC)

HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1
Junior pitcher Ryan Ziegler (Uncasville, Conn.) would start the first game of the regular season finale for Elms, where he would throw a swinging strikeout in the first inning. In the bottom half of the inning, sophomore pitcher/infielder Brycen Diaz (Andrews, Texas), sophomore Liam Pond (Holyoke, Mass.), and senior outfielder Noah Scanlon-Dean (Hadley, Mass.) would hit three-straight base hits past the left side of the infield to load the base. Unfortunately, the Blazers would not be able to score in the inning. In the top of the second, the Elms defense would continue to hold strong, with a double play from first year infielder Colin Faber (Suffield, Conn.) to junior infielder/pitcher Andrew Ciaglo (Hadley, Mass.) to Pond, and Ziegler would strikeout the final batter swinging. In the top of the third inning, the Raiders would score four quick runs to take the lead. Junior pitcher Scott Cooper (Middletown, R.I.) would relieve Zeigeler on the pitcher's mound, but the Rivier offense would score three more runs before senior infielder/pitcher Chase Prestia (Newington, Conn.) would take over pitching for Cooper. The Raiders would score one last run in the inning to take a 8-0 lead. In the top of the fourth inning, Rivier would score a run, but during the same play, the Elms infield would record a second double play involving Faber, Ciaglo, and Pond. Pond would earn a walk in the bottom of the fourth, but the Blazers would not be able to capitalize in the inning. In the top of the fifth inning, Prestia would strikeout the first two batters he faced. In the bottom half of the inning, senior outfielder/pitcher Nason Busca (Windsor, Conn.) would hit a lead off single through the right side, followed by first year outfielder Raynel Rodriguez (San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic) would be hit by a pitch. Then with two runners on base, B.Diaz would hit a single to left center field to drive in Busca for the first run of the day for Elms. In the top of the sixth inning, Presita would start the inning with a swinging strikeout, but the Raiders would score a run. Then in the bottom of the sixth, Scanlon-Dean would start with reaching base on a throwing error committed by the third baseman and would advance to second base. He would later score after Faber would hit a single past the shortstop and Busca would hit a single to center field. Then with two runners on base, Ciaglo would reach base on a fielder's choice, but Busca would be safe after a throwing error committed by the pitcher and Faber would score. Rodrigiez would then reach base on a fielder's choice to put base runners on the corners, but the Blazers would not be able to continue their rally in the inning. In the top of the seventh inning, junior pitcher Tobias Marineau (Manchester, Conn.) would relieve Prestia on the hill, but Rivier would score a run in the inning. Then in the bottom of the seventh, the Elms offense would look to rally back late, with back-to-back singles by B.Diaz and Pond, with B.Diaz advancing the second base on a fielding error committed by the third baseman. Junior infielder Manny Essley (Duxbury, Mass.) would earn a walk to load the bases, and B.Diaz would score four pitches later when Faber would be walked. Then with the bases still loaded, Busca would hit the ball through the right side to drive in Pond and Essley for a two-run single. Unfortunately, the Blazers would not be able to add more runs to the scoreboard and the Raiders would take the first game of the afternoon, 11-6.

Game 2
Ciaglo would take the ball for Elms in the second game of the doubleheader, where he would end the inning by striking out the last batter looking. In the bottom of the first inning, Rodriguez would hit a lead off bunt and advance to second base on a throwing error by the pitcher, but the Blazers would not be able to score in the inning. Then in the bottom of the second, B.Diaz would start the inning by reaching base on a fielding error committed by the third baseman, followed by back-to-back singles from Essley and Faber. Then with the bases loaded, first year infielder Aidan Daugherty (Southwick, Mass.) would reach base on a fielder's choice, but due to two errors committed by the Rivier defense, B.Diaz and Essley would both score, and Daugherty would advance to third base. Daugherty would score moments later on a wild pitch to extend their lead to 3-0. In the top of the third inning, the Raiders would score, but Ciaglo would strikeout out the first and final batter of the inning. In the bottom half of the inning, Rodriguez would hit a lead off double to right center field, and would advance to third base on a sacrifice bunt by Busca. Rodriguez would later score when first year catcher Eliam Martinez (Dominican Republic) would hit a fly ball to left center field and the left fielder would commit a throwing error. B.Diaz would hit a double to the left field corner and would later score when Scanlon-Dean would hit a triple to right center field to extend their lead to four runs. Unfortunately, in the fourth inning, the Rivier offense would score two runs to bring the score to 5-3, but after a single was hit through the right side, Busca would make a great throw from right field to junior catcher Nicky Calvanese (Longmeadow, Mass.) to make the tag at home plate for the first out of the inning. Junior infielder/pitcher Jayden Maynard (Enfield, Conn.) would relieve Ciaglo on the hill in the fifth inning, where he would strikeout a batter, along with a double from B.Diaz, and two hit by pitches to Busca and Scanlon-Dean, but both teams would not be able to score in the inning. In the top of the sixth inning, with a runner on first base, a ground ball would be hit to Essley, he would toss the ball to Daugherty at second, and he would throw the ball over to B.Diaz for the third double play of the afternoon. In the bottom half of the inning, Faber and Daugherty would hit back-to-back singles to the right side of the infield, followed by a walk to Calvanese, to load the bases. Rodriguez would reach base on a fielder's choice that would result in the out being recorded at home plate. But moments later, Busca would make up for that out when he would hit a two-run single up the middle. Busca and Rodriguez would complete a double steal and Rodriguez would score on a sacrifice fly by Martinez to extend their lead by three runs. In the seventh inning, the Raiders would score a run, but the Elms defense would get out of the jam. In the top of the eighth inning, senior pitcher Colby Arnold (Waterford, Conn.) would relieve Maynard on the mound, where he would strikeout back-to-back batters. In the top of the ninth inning, Rivier would score two runs to bring the score to 8-6, but two runners on base and 0-2 count, Arnold would strikeout the final batter swinging for the save, the conference victory, and to clinch the final playoff spot in the 2026 GNAC Tournament for the first time since 2023.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• B.Diaz: five hits, with two doubles, three runs scored, and a run batted-in at the plate, and would be involved in a double play in the field.

• Pond: two hits, a run scored, and a walk at the plate, and would be involved in two double plays in the field.

• Scanlon-Dean: two hits, with a triple, a run scored, and a run batted-in.

• Essley: a hit, two runs scored, and a walk at the plate, and would be involved in a double play in the field.

• Faber: three hits, a run scored, two runs batted-in, and a walk at the plate, and would be involved in two double plays in the field.

• Busca: four hits, a run scored, four runs batted-in, and a stolen base.

• Ciaglo: a run batted-in at the plate, would pitch four innings with three strikeouts and earn the win in Game 2, and would be involved in two double plays in the field.

• Daugherty: a hit, two runs scored, and two runs batted-in, and would be involved in a double play in the field.

• Rodriguez: two hits, with a double, two runs scored, and a stolen base.

• Martinez: two runs batted-in.

• Calvanese: a run scored and a walk.

• Maynard: would pitch three innings, with a strikeout.

• Arnold: would pitch two innings, with three strikeouts to earn the save.

• Ziegler: would pitch two innings, with two strikeouts.

• Cooper: would pitch ⅓ of an inning.

• Prestia: would pitch three and ⅔ innings, with three strikeouts.

• Marineau: would pitch an inning.

UP NEXT: The Elms Baseball team has clinched the #8 seed in the 2026 GNAC Baseball Tournament and will travel to New London, Conn. on Thursday, April 30th to play #1 seed Mitchell College at 3 pm.

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