Hoboken, N.J. - The baseball team (8-6, 2-0 Empire 8) opened Empire 8 play with a doubleheader sweep of Stevens Institute of Technology Saturday. Ithaca took the first game 12-1 and the second 4-1.

In the opener, senior Nick Sottung (Pulaski/Pulaski) won his second game in four days, allowing three hits and an unearned run over six innings. He struck out six and didn't walk a batter in improving to 4-0 on the season and 27-8 in his career. His win total is one behind the school record set by his cousin, Kyle Sottung, from 2001 to 2004.

Senior second baseman Dylan Perez (Conval Regional/Peterborough, N.H.) led the offense with a pair of doubles and three RBI's. Senior outfielder Eric Ferguson (Columbia/East Greenbush) singled twice,  scored two runs and drove in two others. Senior first baseman Shane Wolf (Freeville/Dryden) scored three runs and drove in two.

Freshman third baseman David Ahonen (Farmington/Victor) and junior catcher Drew Ash (Morris Knolls/Denville, N.J.) both collected two hits and scored a pair of runs.

In game two, Ash broke a 1-1 tie with an RBI double in the fourth and senior outfielder Rob Raux (Frankfort/Ilion) hit his 15th career home run in the sixth.

Ash's two-out double brought in Shane Wolf with the winning run. Wolf, who had three of Ithaca's nine hits, also scored in the sixth on Raux's team-leading fourth homer of the season.

Ferguson singled in Ahonen in the top of the third to tie the game.

Junior Pete MacDaniel (Gansevoort/Schuylerville) struck out a career-high 10 batters in throwing his first career complete game. He earned his first win of the season with a three-hitter.

The two teams continue their weekend series Sunday with a noon doubleheader.

Game one box score

Game two box score