Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

Utica, NY (4/24/2013) - The Utica College baseball team snapped a six game slide on Wednesday after splitting a pair of games against visiting Keuka College.  Utica freshman Matthew DeMartino (Oceanside, NY/Oceanside) ripped a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning of game two to complete the Pioneers come from behind rally.  UC trailed by as many as four runs in the top of the third inning before beginning its charge.  Utica's Riley Kevil (Manchester Center, VT/Burr and Burton Academy) went 2-for-2 and hit his first collegiate home run in the bottom of the fourth inning to spark the Pioneer rally. 

DeMartino finished the day going 2-for-3 with a double, a home run and three RBIs.  UC's Vincent Burillo (Montgomery, NY/Valley Central )
The Pioneers move to 3-19 overall on the season and wrap up Empire 8 Conference play this weekend in a four game set versus Stevens Institute of Technology.   First-pitch of game one is set for 6 p.m. in Hoboken, NJ, under the lights, on the Duck's campus.  The Keuka Storm, now 7-18 on the season, head to Cazenovia College on Saturday for a double header against the Wildcats.

Keuka 6, Utica 4 - Game One

UC got on the board first with two quick runs in the bottom of the first inning on one hit, one stolen base and the help of a Keuka wild pitch.  Senior shortstop Chris Podlucky (Grand Island, NY/Grand Island) walked to start the game then advanced to second on a wild pitch and eventually scored on a base knock from junior left fielder Alec Choleva (Coventry, CT/East Catholic).  Choleva then stole second and also scored to give the Pioneers an early 2-0 edge.

The visitors got one run back in the top of the second on two hits including a leadoff double by the Storm's first baseman Jon Bouchert.  Bouchert scored off a single by designated hitter Connor Anderson for Keuka's first run of the afternoon.

Utica added two more runs in the fourth, on just one hit, to aid a 4-1 lead for the home team.  KC's hurler Josh Mead hit the first two UC batters, sophomore catcher Thomas Dinnen (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Walter Panas ) and senior first baseman Nick Dunbar (Granville, NY/Granville), to start the inning. Dinnen advanced on a fielder's choice and then scored on a wild pitch while sophomore Benjamin Hobaica (Clinton, NY/Clinton) reached base on a fielder's choice, stole second and then crossed the dish on double to the left center gap by senior Angel Zapata (Bronx, NY/Bronx Center for Science and Math).

The Storm answered right away with three runs on three hits in the top of the fourth to knot the contest at 4-4.  After loading the bases with one out, UC's Chris Jeffers (Albany, NY/Bishop Maginn) got a big strike out but not before a clutch, two-out, base clearing double by Keuka to tie the contest up. 

Following a slow sixth inning, KC regained momentum with two runs in the top of the seventh en route to a 6-4 game one victory.

Jeffers tossed 6.1 innings allowing four earned runs and three walks while fanning three. Freshman Ronald Mannella (Albion, NY/Albion) relieved Jeffers with one out in the seventh and witnessed two runs at the hands of a UC throwing error and back-to-back visitor hits.

Podlucky reached base a game-high three times and scored two runs for Utica while sophomore Vincent Burillo (Montgomery, NY/Valley Central ) stretched his hot streak with a big two-out, two RBI rip.

Utica 9, Keuka 7 – Game Two

Two late, long balls off the wood of freshmen Matthew DeMartino (Oceanside, NY/Oceanside) and Riley Kevil (Manchester Center, VT/Burr and Burton Academy) lifted UC to a much needed win and the snap of a devastating six-game slide.  After managing a mere one run lead, 2-1, at the end of one, UC fell victim to a five run fifth inning by the visitors as is trailed 6-2. 

Utica kept its pose nonetheless and gathered two runs back in the bottom half of the inning off consecutive ropes by Burillo and DeMartino.  Podlucky, UC's everyday glove at shortstop, tripled down the left chalk to start the run and scored on a rip up the middle by Burillo.  DeMartino then tagged the left center gap, scoring Burillo, cutting the deficit to two, 6-4. 

KC posted an insurance run in the top of the fourth to edge a 7-4 lead before the Pioneers mounted a much needed come from behind victory, scoring five runs over their next three at bats to close out the game two win.  Kevil cracked his first collegiate homer in the fourth to pull UC within one of the lead, 7-6.  The Pioneers converted the tying run in the fifth to even the game at 7-7 before

UC's DeMartino showed his future potential with a two-run blast to lift the squad to late victory.  The freshman combo of DeMartino and Kevil combined for an impressive 4-of-5 at the dish while driving in five runs and scoring twice in the game two victory.

Freshman James Corcoran (Mechanicville, NY/Mechanicville) was credited with the win as he worked two perfect innings of scoreless, hitless action.