Utica 2, Cazenovia 1 - Game Two Box Score

Cazenovia 5, Utica 4 - Game One Box Score

Utica, N.Y. (4/27/2011) – The Utica College baseball team split a pair of tight games against local rival Cazenovia College Wednesday afternoon. The Pioneers dropped game one 5-4 before battling back with two runs in the final three innings to win game two, 2-1. Senior third baseman Anthony Di Salvo (Washingtonville, NY/Washingtonville) went 3-for-6 with two runs scored and two RBIs over the course of two games for Utica.

The Pioneers moved their record to 4-21 overall, and Cazenovia is now 9-21. In game two, the Pioneers trailed 1-0 through three and a half innings until Di Salvo reach on a single and wound up scoring on an RBI single by Nick Dunbar (Granville, NY/Granville). In the bottom of the sixth inning the Pioneers completed the comeback after Di Salvo reach base again on a single and this time he was driven in by an RBI single from the bat of sophomore short stop Chris Podlucky (Grand Island, NY/Grand Island).

The Pioneers pitched by committee, allowing just six hits and one run over the course of seven innings. Matt Zitt (Latrobe, PA/Greater Latrobe) started on the mound for UC and allowed two hits. He was relieved in the fourth inning by senior Chris Pallas (Rome, NY/Rome Catholic School), who struck out two and did not allow a run to cross the plate. Freshman Austin Williams (Clyde, NY/Clyde Savannah) picked up his second win of the season, allowing just one hit and striking out one in one inning of work for UC.

Freshman Alec Choleva (Coventry, CT/East Catholic) went 1-for-2 for UC in game two.

In game one, the Pioneers trailed 2-0 headed into the bottom of the fourth inning before getting their first run of the day after sophomore Angel Zapata (Bronx, NY/Bronx Center for Science and Math) scored on a sacrifice ground out from the bat of Podlucky.

The Wildcats tacked on a third run in the top of the fifth inning and the Pioneers answered with two runs of their own to knot the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the fifth. Di Salvo's two RBI single sparked the Pioneers comeback.

Cazenovia was able to put two more runs on the board in the top of the sixth before UC made one final surge in the bottom of the seventh. The Pioneers loaded the bases in their final at bat and freshman centerfielder Terrence Reyes scored after Choleva walked to cut the Cazenovia lead to 5-4. Unfortunately for UC, senior first baseman Adam Bittel (New Hartford, CT/Northwestern Region) struck out looking on the next at bat to end the contest with the Pioneers down by one.

Ted Krueger (Franklinville, NY/Franklinville) went 2-for-4 on the day, while Nick Dunbar (Granville, NY/Granville) finished with two hits of his own. Podlucky went 1-for-4 with two RBIs. Zach Hasselbarth (Albany, NY/Bishop Maginn) struck out one in three innings of relief work in game one for UC.

The Pioneers return to the diamond on Saturday when they travel to Hoboken, N.J. to take on Empire 8 Conference rival Stevens Institute of Technology for a weekend set. Saturday's game is set to begin at 4:00 p.m.

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