Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Utica 12, SUNYIT 5 - Game One Box Score

SUNYIT 11, Utica  - Game Two Box Score

Utica, NY (4-18-12) – The Utica College baseball team split a doubleheader with cross-town rival SUNY Institute of Technology Wednesday at the Utica College Baseball Field.  The Pioneers were led by senior Dan Bittel (New Hartford, CT/Northwestern Region) who had four hits, four RBI, two doubles and two stolen bases on the afternoon.

Game One

UC jumped out to a 5-0 early lead in the first on two hits and one SUNYIT error. Freshman Benjamin Hobaica (Clinton, NY/Clinton) walked, stole second and third then scored as classmate Thomas Dinnen (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Walter Panas ) laid down a bunt to give the Pioneers their first run. Bittel added a two run single while junior Angel Zapata (Bronx, NY/Bronx Center for Science and Math) drove in one run on a ground ball to short.

The visitors pulled within one of lead after back-to-back two run innings in the second and third to make the score 5-4. Utica extended its lead to five, 9-4, with one run in the third and three runs in the fourth on five hits and the help of three Wildcat errors. 

Sophomore Alec Choleva (Coventry, CT/East Catholic) roped a triple to centerfield in the fourth scoring two runs and later crossed the plate as Bittel drove in his third run of the game.

SUNYIT added one run in the sixth but could not muster a comeback as UC went on to score three more runs sealing game one, 12-5.

Sophomore Chris Jeffers (Albany, NY/Bishop Maginn) won his second game of the year throwing six complete innings allowing four earned runs on 10 hits.

Senior Dan Bittel (New Hartford, CT/Northwestern Region) was a perfect 3-for-3 at the dish driving in three runs. Junior Nick Dunbar (Granville, NY/Granville) continued his hot bat going 3-for-4 with three runs scored while Choleva added two hits, two RBI and four runs scored.

Game Two

Utica took a 4-0 lead in the third however five Pioneer errors would prove costly as SUNYIT rallied eight runs over the next two innings. 

The Wildcats scored five in the fourth on four hits and one error and followed up with three more in the sixth on one hit and two UC errors to take an 8-4 lead.

The Pioneers pulled within two of the lead, 8-6, in the bottom of the sixth on three hits but fell short of any comeback as the Wildcats went on to win game two, 11-6, earning the afternoon split.

Dunbar and Hobaica each added one hit, one RBI and one run scored in game two. Junior Chris Podlucky (Grand Island, NY/Grand Island) went 2-for-3 with one run scored while freshmen Nick Perkins (Schenectady, NY/Schenectady) and Dylan Leggett (Milton, VT/Milton High School) each tallied one hit and one run scored.

UC returns to action this weekend as it heads to Hoboken, NJ for a three-game set against Stevens Institute of Technology.  The Pioneers took 1-of-3 from the Ducks two weekends ago in Utica as they won game two, 10-9 (8 innings).  Stevens is currently 18-12 overall while holding a 4-5 mark in the E8.