Senior center fielder Adam Keller went 2-for-5 with two doubles and one run scored as the Utica College baseball team dropped a pair of games against visiting St. John Fisher College in Empire 8 Conference play Saturday. Sophomore Andrew Dexter threw his second complete game of the season in game one - but the Pioneers lost 8-1. Junior first baseman Adam Bittel (New Hartford, CT/Northwestern Region) hit a towering two RBI home run to right field, his team-high seventh of the season, in game two - but UC lost 16-5. Freshman Nick Dunbar (Granville, NY/Granville) went 2-for-2 with one RBI and one run scored in game two.

The two teams will square off again tomorrow afternoon in a double header at Utica to wrap up the four game weekend set. Fisher improved to 24-10 overall and 9-3 in conference play, while the Pioneers dropped to 7-19 and 2-6 in the E8.

Fisher 8, Utica 1 – Game One Recap

The Cardinals shot out to a 5-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning after scoring two runs in the first, one run in the second and two more in the top of the fourth. UC responded with its only run of the contest in the bottom half of the fourth inning when catcher Dan Bittel (New Hartford, CT/Northwestern Region) drove in junior transfer Kevin Oquendo with an RBI single.

Fisher was able to cement the victory with three more runs in the top of the fifth inning. Dexter allowed six earned runs in seven innings of work on the mound for the Pioneers. He also added two strike outs. Anthony Di Salvo (Washingtonville, NY/Washingtonville), Adam Keller, Russ Haentges, Chris Podlucky (Grand Island, NY/Grand Island) and Dan Bittel (New Hartford, CT/Northwestern Region) each posted one hit for UC in game one.

Fisher 16, Utica 5 – Game Two Recap

Fisher's eight run second inning gave the Cardinals a quick and comfortable lead in game two. The Pioneers were able to muster four runs over the course of the second and third innings – but they still trailed 11-4 headed into the fourth. Dunbar's RBI single opened the scoring on the day for Utica before Jeremy Clark (Thorofare, NJ/Woodbury) added a sacrifice fly to cut the Cardinals' lead to 8-2 in the second. Bittel's home run in the third scored Keller and the Pioneers trailed by seven after three full innings.

Fisher tacked on a combined five runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to give the Cardinals a 16-4 lead. UC was able to score one more run in the bottom of the sixth inning to close out the scoring on the day.

Freshman Luke Manolescu (New York Mills, NY/Notre Dame) pitched two full innings, striking out two, while giving up just one earned run for the Pioneers. Brian Martinez-Torres, Chris Podlucky (Grand Island, NY/Grand Island), Adam Bittel (New Hartford, CT/Northwestern Region), Adam Keller and Nick Dunbar (Granville, NY/Granville) all had at least one hit in game two for Utica.

                       --- www.ucpioneers.com ---