Baseball | 3/24/2014 1:03:00 PM

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

WINTER HAVEN, FL – The RIT baseball team (2-3) dropped both ends of a doubleheader at prestigious Chain of Lakes Stadium on Tuesday morning, falling to Elmhurst College (4-5) by a score of 4-1 in game one, and 10-1 in game two.

In game one, RIT hurler Michael Burns (Rochester, NY/Rush-Henrietta) and Elmhurst starter Jeff Guzzi locked up in an excellent pitcher's duel over the first four innings, not allowing a run and throwing 46 and 47 pitches, respectively. In the fifth, the Bluejays scored a pair of runs, all with two outs on the strength of a hit batter, single, and double which plated both base runners on the help of a RIT throwing error.

RIT had its chances throughout, but could not get the lead. In the second, Walt Roman (Spencerport, NY/Spencerport) led off with a double, but was stranded. The next inning, Matt Holtby (Honeoye Falls, NY/Honeoye Falls-Lima) reached on an error and reached third base with one out, but a strikeout and groundout ended the rally.

The Tigers got on board in the sixth, as Zach Zabel (Clarence, NY/Clarence) led off with a perfect bunt single to first base, and Ronnie Canestro (East Amherst, NY/Nichols) singled up the middle, moving Zabel to second. After Elmhurst left fielder A.J. Compton made a tremendous sliding grab to rob Skip Flanagan (Framingham, MA/Bishop Feehan) of a hit, Roman blooped a single into right center field, scoring Zabel and advancing Canestro to third, cutting the Bluejays lead to 2-1. Unfortunately for RIT, Guzzi would get Brett Kagjanich to pop up and CJ Bolorin (Rochester, NY/Rush-Henrietta) to fly out on the next two pitches, ending the rally.

Elmhurst would tack on two insurance runs in the seventh inning and Guzzi would shut the door on RIT for the 4-1 final.

Guzzi was tremendous for Elmhurst, needing just 83 pitches in the complete-game five-hitter, walking one batter and striking out four.

Burns went 6 1/3 innings in his season debut and pitched well, allowing six hits and three earned runs, while striking out four batters and walking none. Burns left with runners on first and third after 80 pitches in the top of the seventh innings, down 2-1, but Compton reached on a fielder's choice on the first pitch from Tyler Leichtenberger (Warren, PA/Warren Area), as Zabel just missed turning a double-play, making the score 3-1.

In game two, Roman drove in RIT's lone with a double to the gap in left center that scored Canestro in the top of the first, giving RIT a 1-0 lead. Elmhurst would respond with five runs in the bottom of the first and three more in the second, to cruise to the win.

Canestro was 2-for-3 with a double and run scored, while Phil Sammon (Ridgefield, CT/Ridgefield), Jake Shattuck (Rochester, NY/Penfield), and Brian Battaglia (Sliver Spring, MD/James Hubert Blake) also had hits for RIT. Shattuck's hit was his first at RIT.

Seth Noreman (Old Bethpage, NY/Old Bethpage-JFK) took the loss on the mound for RIT, allowing eight earned runs in 3 1/3 innings. Rich Sammon (Ridgefield, CT/Ridgefield) struck out a pair of batters, allowing an unearned run in 1 2/3 innings of relief, while Tom Dillon (Oswego, NY/Oswego) pitched a scoreless sixth inning for the Tigers.

Ivan Neveraz earned the win for Elmhurst, allowing just four hits and one run in six innings, striking out three batters without a walk. Tyler Wargo was 4-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBI's, while Alex Molek drove in four runs for the Bluejays.

Chain of Lakes Park was built in 1966 and was the Spring Training home of the Boston Red Sox until 1993. In 1993, it became the Spring Training home of the Cleveland Indians until 2008.

The Tigers close out their Florida trip on Tuesday with a doubleheader against Thomas College that gets underway at 1:30 p.m.