SECTION 4 BASEBALL: AFTER 4-11 START TO THE YEAR, ELMIRA WINS 8TH STRAIGHT TO CAPTURE SECTIONAL TITLE (24 PHOTOS) (2025-05-30)

By Brian Fees
Southern Tier Sports Report
ELMIRA — There was a time this year when the Elmira Express were sitting at 3-9 and the idea of even being in the sectional playoffs seemed like a long shot.

On Friday the Express won their eighth straight game, topping Corning 6-1 to capture the Section IV, Class AAA Championship.

“Very proud,” Elmira coach Jason Manwaring said. “About a month ago we were sitting there at 3-9. Kind of everybody wrote us off. The boys showed up on a Sunday and they had their journals with reflections on what wasn’t going great and what was and it was at that point and time I realized they were invested.

“We just kept our head down and were like just one at a time. We can’t look to the end. Let’s just win the next game. They came to work every single day. They just never gave up. And it’s a testament to them, because most of the time when you are 3-9 you kind of fold up shot. But to rattle off 8 or 9 wins now, it’s pretty special for them.”

Elmira was 3-9 this year and then they were 4-11, since that time the Express haven’t lost, including back-to-back wins over Corning in the first two games of the best of three series with Corning.

“No better feeling in the world,” Elmira’s Aedan Palmer said. “We worked every day in practice, bought into what coach told us.”

A season ago the Express lost in the sectional final, and they were ready for some redemption this year.

“We lost last year, but we came back,” Jackson Cavalier said. “It was personal for us. We took care of business.”

One thing for Elmira about sitting at 3-9 this year is that the team has been in must win mode for weeks now.

“Every game seemed like an elimination game,” Manwaring said. “So, when you get to this point they have been battle tested over and over again because every game has been essentially elimination and they weren’t all easy. 4-3s and 1-0 and so backs against the wall and they just kept performing.”

That slow start to the year makes this moment mean even more.

“It makes It a lot more special,” Palmer said. “It makes everything feel so much better. No one really thought we’d be here. We were really down and out and I think seven games in a row, you can’t beat that.

“I have been waiting for this moment for a while now and I knew I was going to do anything I could to help our team. This is the team everyone on our team thought we could be. We weren’t at times, but we were when it mattered.”

It was a tough start for the Express on Friday as Connor Monroe hit a first-inning home run to put the Hawks ahead 1-0.

From that point on Elmira ace Aedan Palmer didn’t allow another run, striking out nine in the game.

“Testament to him,” Manwaring said. “He’s been a horse for us since he was a freshman. The Connor Monroe kid, we know he’s a good hitter and he’s got some pop. Of course you go down 1-0 in an elimination game, but he got some big outs and just kept competing. And, our guys just were relentless with their approaches at the plate and good things happened today.”

The weather was tough on Friday, just as it was in the first game of the series.

“It’s hard, but you can’t think about the weather, you have to think about what you are trying to do and winning for your team,” Palmer said. “You just have to figure it out as the game goes on. Find what’s working and work through it.

“The dirt (on the mound) was pretty muddy. I didn’t have much grip on my feet, but I had to work through it.”

Elmira prepared all year for moments like this.

“We practice in this (tough weather),” Manwaring said. “We go out, we were on the turf when it was snowing, we were out here when it was 30 degrees and they are just tough kids. We just said listen, they have to play in it to, so there are no excuses we are just going to go out and compete and hopefully we make less mistakes than they do and capitalize.”

After the Express took game one of the series there was plenty of confidence in game two.

“Lot of confidence,” Palmer said. “Lot of confidence in myself and my team to make plays.”

Elmira scored in the second inning to tie the game and it was still tied in the fifth when Cavalier hit a two-run single to give Elmira a 3-1 lead, a lead they never relinquished.

“The first game we played them, Aedan got intentionally walked twice and I didn’t come through, so I took it a little personal and tried to get it done for my team and I was happy with myself.

“I was so close the whole time, it was just little tweaks and I made the adjustments.”

The 4-11 start to the year included three 1-0 losses. The Express made some adjustments during the year and they have scored six or more runs in five of the past six games.

“I think the big thing is we did have some experience coming back,” Manwaring said. “I think we had seven guys coming back from last year, but with that they didn’t have a ton of at bats. We were putting some guys in some roles and we just keep tweaking some things and we found something that worked, guys felt comfortable. We made some positional changes and guys took off and they excelled and we are making progress.s We are still trying to get better each day.”

Elmira’s players made adjustments through the year to help get the offense going.

“We just bought into the approach, we stuck to it, and we worked counts,” Cavalier said.

After getting the 3-1 lead Elmira tacked on three more in the sixth to add some cushion to their lead.

“I think we play really well with the momentum and once we get the momentum we don’t give it back,’ Palmer said. “It was big (the three runs) and I think that helps us and gives us even more momentum than we already have.”

“We had to keep the pressure on them,” Cavalier said.

Winning the game at home just made things more special. The Express knew they waned to close it out Friday and not let it go back to Corning.

“It’s the best feeling in the world when you can do it at home,” Cavalier said. “All your people are here, all your family, everyone in town. It’s great.”

Aidan Ranck and Ryan Mathews each had two hits in the game. Mathews had a double, two RBI and a run scored and Ranck had a hit.

Logan Demember had a hit and two RBI and Palmer had a hit and scored a run.

Cavalier had a hit and the two RBI and Noah Cain scored a run.

Logan Speciale had three hits for Corning and Monroe had two hits, with the home run, an RBI and a run scored.

Johnny Graham had two hits, with a double and Dom Weed had two hits, with a double.

Kyle Miller had a hit in the game.

Nolan Smith worked five innings, allowing five hits and striking out two. Carter West worked an inning in relief.

The Express host the subregional game at 4 p.m. on June 5.

“We don’t have to get on a bus and go five hours,” Manwaring said. “That’s always nice to have it in our own section and have them come here and have them experience our section, our great baseball and hopefully we’ll pack the house and it will be a great game.”’

Elmira plays the Section 1 champion in the sub-regional game.
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PHOTOS BY BRIAN FEES

PHOTO GALLERY FROM THE GAME;



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