Box Score Utica 7, Hamilton 6 (10 Inn.) -
Box Score
Utica, NY – The Utica College baseball team tied the game in the bottom of the ninth, and loaded the bases in the bottom of the tenth, before junior
Chris Podlucky (Grand Island, NY/Grand Island) was hit by a pitch, scoring
Benjamin Hobaica (Clinton, NY/Clinton), to lift the Pioneers to a thrilling 7-6 victory in the 25th annual Jackie Robinson Game at the UC Baseball Field Wednesday afternoon. Freshman third baseman
Vincent Burillo (Montgomery, NY/Valley Central ) went 3-for-5 with three runs scored, including the game-tying run in the bottom of the ninth, to earn the game's Most Valuable Player Award for the Pioneers. Hamilton's Sam Choate went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored to earn MVP honors for Hamilton. Choate broke the College's all-time record for hits in a career and he now has 126 over the course of the last four seasons.
It was a highly contested game between the long-time local rivals which featured a combined three ties and 18 hits over
the course of the 3:30 rain-filled contest. Former Tuskegee Airman Herbert Thorpe was on hand to throw out the game's ceremonial first pitch. The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African-American military aviators in the United States Armed Forces.
After trailing 6-5 in the bottom of the ninth, UC's
Vincent Burillo (Montgomery, NY/Valley Central ) started the game-tying rally with a double, and he eventually score the tying run after senior catcher
Dan Bittel (New Hartford, CT/Northwestern Region) singled to left field to knot the score at 6-6. Utica's
Chris Podlucky (Grand Island, NY/Grand Island) came on in relief and struck out two batters in the top of the tenth inning to set the stage for the Pioneer victory in the bottom half of the inning.
Hobaica started the game-winning rally with a walk and he was moved to second after a balk. Freshman
Nick Perkins (Schenectady, NY/Schenectady) used a sacrifice bunt to advance Hobaica to third base. The Continentals intentionally walked
Nick Dunbar (Granville, NY/Granville) and
Alec Choleva (Coventry, CT/East Catholic) to load the bases for Podlucky. Podlucky was hit by a pitch, scoring Hobaica, to help the Pioneers improve their record to 14-11 against the Continentals in the annual contest.
Dunbar went 3-for-4 at the plate with one run scored, while senior
Ted Krueger (Franklinville, NY/Franklinville) went 1-for-5 with three RBIs. Utica sophomore starting pitcher
Chris Jeffers (Albany, NY/Bishop Maginn) pitched five full innings and struck out three and the Pioneers' relief pitchers (
Matt Zitt (Latrobe, PA/Greater Latrobe),
James Richards (Rome, NY/Holland Patent) and Podlucky) did not allow an earned run in the final three innings of action. Zitt struck out two batters between the sixth and seventh innings and gave up just one unearned run.
Hamilton sophomore pitcher Alexander Zeig pitched five complete innings and struck out four, while Tommy Moriarty and Stephen Wright pitched 3.1 innings of relief and allowed just one hit. Junior outfielder Gabe Klein went 2-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBIs for the Continentals (4-19).
Hamilton jumped out on top 2-0 in the top of the first inning when Klein tripled to right center field, scoring John Wulf.
Choate came right back with a single up the middle to score Klein as the visitors earned a two run lead.
The Pioneers answered in the bottom of the second with two runs to tie the score at 2-2. Burillo scored on a wild pitch and Bittel added the Pioneers second run when he scored on an error by Hamilton.
The Continentals fought right back with two more runs in the top of the third inning. Choate tripled to left center, scoring Klein, and Choate eventually scored on a wild pitch to put the visitors back up by two runs, 4-2.
The Pioneers' cut their deficit to one run when Dunbar scored after a bases loaded walk by
John Grogan (Albany, NY/Albany). Hamilton added another run in the top of the fourth to push its lead back to two runs, 5-3.
In the bottom of the fifth inning the Pioneers were able to tie the game back up. Podlucky and Burillo opened the inning with back-to-back hits and they were eventually drove in by Krueger to tie the game up headed into the sixth inning.
Hamilton scored one run on two Utica errors in the top of the seventh and it appeared as if the Continentals might hold on for the victory until the Pioneers started their rally in the bottom of the ninth.
UC return to action on Saturday at home when it hosts Empire 8 Conference rival Ithaca College for a pair of games. The first pitch is set for 1 p.m. Hamilton returns to play on Friday when it begins a six game home stand against NESCAC foe Middlebury College at 4 p.m.
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