Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

Utica, NY (4-19-13) – The Utica College baseball team dropped two close games Saturday afternoon to Houghton College at the Utica College Baseball Field.  UC lost game one, 9-8, in the top of the seventh and then lost game two, 5-4, in the top of the eighth.  Sophomores Vincent Burillo (Montgomery, NY/Valley Central ) and Thomas Dinnen (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Walter Panas ) guided UC as Burrillo went 5-for-8 with three runs scored and two RBI while Dinnen posted a 4-for-6 day with two RBI and two runs scored.

The Pioneers are now 2-16 overall while the Highlanders move their record to 11-13 on the season.  Both teams return to the UC Baseball Field Saturday for another afternoon doubleheader.  First-pitch of game one is scheduled for 12 p.m.

Houghton 9, Utica 8 - Game One

The visitors opened up the scoring in the top of the first inning with three runs on a homerun down the left field line by Kaiden Bowers to take an early 3-0 lead. The Pioneers quickly answered with three runs of their own to knot up the contest, 3-3.

Sophomore second baseman Benjamin Hobaica (Clinton, NY/Clinton) walked with one out and later scored on a roped double to left field by junior cleanup hitter and pitcher Alec Choleva (Coventry, CT/East Catholic). Sophomore Vincent Burillo (Montgomery, NY/Valley Central ) then came through with a two-out, two RBI single up the middle tying the game.

The Highlanders came right back with another two runs in the top of the second to regain the lead, 5-3.  UC edged its way back with one run in the second and third to knot the game up, 5-5.  In the second inning, sophomore catcher Thomas Dinnen (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Walter Panas ) led off with a double and later scored and then, in the third inning, senior Nick Dunbar (Granville, NY/Granville) reached on an error and eventually crossed the dish on a passed ball.

HC would regain another two run edge in the top of the fourth on two hits as it moved to a 7-5 lead.  Utica answered with one run in the fifth before taking its first lead of the afternoon in the bottom of the sixth.  Burillo and senior Tyler Young (Latham, NY/Hudson Valley) started off the two run rally with back-to-bac k hits and would later score with the help of a Houghton error and a Nick Perkins (Schenectady, NY/Schenectady) RBI single to right field.  However, the Highlanders proved tough as they responded with two more runs in the top of the seventh and eventually closed out the game one victory.

Choleva tossed 6.1 innings allowing seven earned runs and five walks while fanning three.  HC's Kameron Konert got the win for the visitors with 6.0 innings of work while Seth Cornell closed out the final inning to earn the save.

Burillo had two hits, two RBI and one run while Hobaica also had two hits and one run scored to pace the Pioneers.  UC leadoff Nick Perkins (Schenectady, NY/Schenectady) registered two RBI and one hit in the game one defeat.

Houghton 4, Utica 2 – Game Two

The teams each scored one run in the first and in the fourth with two full innings of quiet play in between as the game featured a 2-2 scoreboard headed into the fifth inning. In the top of the fifth, Houghton regained its third lead of the contest with two runs and led 4-2. 

UC did not waste any time as it responded right back with two runs of its own to knot the contest up, 4-4, headed into the final inning of play.

Junior Anthony Johnson (Syracuse, NY/Nottingham) threw 4.2 innings striking out one while giving up four runs and walking four.  Freshmen relievers Joseph Horning (Canajoharie, NY/Canajoharie) and James Corcoran (Mechanicville, NY/Mechanicville) along with Donato Traditi (Lagrangeville, NY/Arlington) combined for 1.2 innings of scoreless work before Ronald Mannella (Albion, NY/Albion) allowed the game-winning run and was tagged with the loss in the top of the eighth.

Burillo capped a career-day going 3-for-4 in game two with two runs scored while DInnen also ripped three hits to go along with two RBI and one run scored.