WINTER HAVEN, FL -- The Utica College baseball team split a pair of games against Lesley University in a season-opening double header in Winter Haven, Florida on Monday. Utica senior pitcher
Stephen Szatko (Sauquoit, NY/Sauquoit Valley) pitched a complete game shutout and struck out four as the Pioneers won game two, 2-0. Lesley rallied from a 2-1 deficit to down the Pioneers 3-2 in extra innings in game one.
Utica first baseman
Ryan Watson (Deerfield, NY/Whitesboro) went 2-for-6 on the day with one triple and two RBI's for the Pioneers while senior catcher
Thomas Dinnen (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Walter Panas ) added a 2-for-7 effort with two RBI's at the dish.
Brandon Thomas (West Winfield, NY/Mount Markam) also added two hits on the day for UC, while
Adam Pexton (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) went 1-for-5 with two runs scored.
Lesley 3, Utica 2 (8 innings) – Game One Final
Utica opened up a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning in game one, but Lesley rallied with the game-tying run in the bottom of the seventh and the game-winner in the bottom of the eighth inning to earn the victory.
Utica junior hurler
Joshua Webb (Verona, NY/VVS) was stellar in his first start of the season for the Pioneers on the mound. Webb pitched seven innings, allowed one earned run and struck out nine for UC.
Ryan Watson (Deerfield, NY/Whitesboro) went 1-for-3 with a triple, one RBI and one run scored in game one.
Thomas Dinnen (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Walter Panas ) went 1-for-4 with one RBI and
Adam Pexton (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) added a run scored. Bryan Patterson and
Ryon Lupia (New York Mills, NY/New York Mills) each added a hit for the Pioneers.
Ray Cohen had the game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning for Lesley.
Utica 2, Lesley 0 – Game Two Final
Utica jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first three innings of game two and Szatko cruised on the mound in his first outing of the season to guide UC to victory. Szatko faced just 24 batters, struck out four, walked one, forced eight ground outs and seven fly outs as he earned the victory.
Utica's
Benjamin Hobaica (Clinton, NY/Clinton) scored on a throwing error in the first inning to give the Pioneers an early 1-0 lead. Dinnen singled home Pexton in the third inning to account for all the runs the Pioneers would need in the game two victory.
Hobaica finished game two going 1-for-3 with one run scored while Pexton added a double to spark the third inning scoring for the Pioneers.
Brandon Thomas (West Winfield, NY/Mount Markam) added his second hit of the day and shortstop
Christopher Wotten (Blackstock, Ontario/Cartwright) also posted his first hit of the season in the Pioneer victory.
Utica returns to the diamond on Tuesday when the Pioneers take on Crown College in a double header. The first pitch is set for 9:10 a.m. at Lake Myrtle Park Field #4.