Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

Utica, NY (4-24-14) – The Utica College baseball team split an afternoon non-conference double header with SUNY Canton Thursday winning game one convincingly, 17-3.  The Pioneers dropped game two, 11-7, after allowing nine runs in the top of the seventh to even the twilight split.  Sophomore third baseman Adam Pexton (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) led UC going for 6-for-9 on the day with four RBI and four runs scored.

Utica is now 7-15 overall on the season and remains at the friendly confines as it welcomes Empire 8 rival Stevens this weekend for back-to-back doubleheaders at the UC Baseball Field.  The Pioneers eclipsed last year's win total (6-28) with the game one victory and needs just three more wins to tie the season total of wins over the last eight seasons. The Pioneers went 10-29 overall for the 2012 season.

SUNY Canton moves its overall season mark at 15-16 and returns to the diamond Saturday to face Alfred State for the first of two weekend twin bills.

Utica 17, Canton 3 – Game One Final

Sophomore Joshua Webb (Verona, NY/VVS) tossed his fourth complete gem of the year as he evened his season mark at 2-2 with seven innings of work allowing just three runs while fanning 11 Kangaroos. Webb walked just one batter while granting just one hit per inning for seven total in the game one victory.

The Pioneers jumped out to a commanding 11-0 cushion through the first four innings scoring six in the second, two in the third and three in the fourth on 12 hits and three Canton errors. 

The visitors finally got on the board in the fifth with three scores on six knocks and the help of a Pioneer mishap to make it an eight run contest, 11-3.  However, that's as close as the Roo's would get as UC scampered another sixth run inning, in the sixth, to close out a convincing 14-run effort beating SUNY, 17-3, to eclipse last year's season win total (6-28) moving to seven season victories.

Pexton rattled off a 4-for-5 performance at the plate while driving in three runs and crossing the dish four times in the win. Junior first baseman Ryan Watson (Deerfield, NY/Whitesboro) racked up three hits to go along with his two stolen bases, two RBI and two runs scored. 

Junior Vincent Burillo (Montgomery, NY/Valley Central ) and classmate Benjamin Hobaica (Clinton, NY/Clinton) combined for four hits, four runs scored and three RBI while senior Alec Choleva (Coventry, CT/East Catholic) added three RBI and one run scored on two hits.

Sophomore designated hitter Matthew DeMartino (Oceanside, NY/Oceanside) chipped in with a two-run triple and one score while senior shortstop Rob Heath (Central Square, NY/Paul V. Moore) drove in two runs and also scored twice.

Canton 11, Utica 7 – Game Two Final

SUNY took the first lead of game two as it edged a slight 2-0 advantage into the midway point.  The Roo's worked one run in the second and another in the third and led 2-0 headed into the fourth frame.

UC answered in the bottom of the fifth, taking the lead, with five scores on four hits and two Canton errors to manage a three run cushion, 5-2.

The Pioneers added two more insurance runs in the sixth and cushioned a 7-2 advantage with just three outs left to finish the sweep.

The visiting Kangaroos did not cower, however, as they put together a nine-run seventh inning on eight hits to battle back earning the afternoon split.