Horseheads Baseball Cruises Past Elmira in Series Opener

Horseheads baseball sent an early message to open their three-game series against Elmira: this week belongs to them. The Blue Raiders poured it on early and held firm on the mound, taking game one 8-2 on Monday evening.

The offense got going right away. Lyncoln Bennett drove in a run in the first inning, and Mason Markle followed with another RBI single. The pair would combine to create early trouble for Elmira pitchers, setting the tone for what became a wire-to-wire victory. Markle added another RBI later, while Bennett crossed the plate twice himself. Keegan Monahan led the way at the plate, going 3-for-5 in the contest.

On the mound, Cooper Ball gave the Blue Raiders exactly what they needed. He worked six innings, striking out eight Elmira batters and keeping the Express off balance throughout. Hunter Matkosky contributed with a shutdown relief appearance, closing out the final frames to preserve the victory.

For Elmira, Aedan Palmer turned in a respectable start despite the outcome. He worked six innings and struck out five, showing some promise on the mound. Carter Sherman and Palmer combined to drive in both of Elmira runs at the plate, but it was not nearly enough against a Horseheads lineup that simply had too many answers.

Monday was just the opening act. Horseheads will host Elmira again on Wednesday evening at 5 p.m., before the series concludes Friday back in Elmira at the same time. The Blue Raiders will look to carry the momentum from Monday into those remaining matchups as they push for position in the section standings.

In other Section IV action on Monday, Corning and Ithaca played to a 9-9 draw that was suspended in the seventh inning due to darkness. Waverly picked up a 9-3 win over Seton Catholic, and the full slate of results shows a competitive early season taking shape across the region.