Elmira tops Newark to end Pilots season

The Newark Pilots (22-26) end the season losing to the Elmira Pioneers (22-26) 5-0 in the first round of the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League playoffs at Colburn Park Thursday night. Elmira pitcher Victor Diaz (2-1, Old Dominion) held a perfect game into the seventh inning. Diaz lost the perfect game on a one-out walk to Sam Fox (Pomona-Pitzer), who got out of the inning a double play in the next at-bat. The no-hitter was broken in the eighth inning on a Josh Ludwig (University of Rochester) single to right field. Diaz pitched eight full innings allowing two hits, no runs and striking out five. He was relieved by Parker Curry (Samford), who acquired his seventh save of the season. The Pioneers’ first run came in the third inning. A Taylor Hillson (Mansfield H.S) single to right center scored Byan Bashara (Old Dominion) from second base. The lead increased to two in the sixth on a RBI single by Spencer Henderson (UC Davis).Elmira scored three more insurance runs in the eighth off Newark reliever Dan Gautieri (University of Pennsylvania). Chris Kalousidan (Manhattan) doubled to left field, lifting the score 3-0. Two more runs scored on back-to-back errors by Newark’s middle infielders, giving the Pioneers a five-run advantage. Newark starter Andrew Sanders (Ithaca, 4-1) had a strong outing, pitching 6 2/3 innings, allowing one earned run on six hits. He struck out three and walked one in the loss.Chad Adams (Saint Rose) had the only other Newark hit of the night on a single to right field. Justin D’Amato (St. John Fisher) and Donald Frew (Young Harris) combined for 1 2/3 scoreless innings with one strikeout apiece.Kalousdian led Elmira scoring two runs. Henderson and Hillson each had one hit, one RBI and scored one run.The Pioneers will take on the Watertown Rams in the first game of the West Division Finals on Friday, August 2 at 7 p.m. at the Alex T. Duffy Fairgrounds.