WINTER HAVEN, FL – The Utica College baseball team swept a pair of one run games in a double-header against Crown College on Tuesday afternoon.  The Pioneers rallied to win in the bottom of the seventh, 4-3, in game one.  Utica came from behind once again in game two, taking the lead in the top half of the seventh inning, to earn a 6-5 victory in the second contest of the day.  

Utica improved to 3-1 overall and the Pioneers return to the diamond on Wednesday when they will take on Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts at 9:30 a.m.  

Utica's Ryan Watson (Deerfield, NY/Whitesboro) had another stellar afternoon as he went 3-for-5 at the dish with three RBI's and two runs scored.  UC's Benjamin Hobaica (Clinton, NY/Clinton) and Adam Pexton (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) each went 2-for-3 on the day.  Pexton added a team-best three runs scored for the Pioneers. 

UC's Vincent Burillo (Montgomery, NY/Valley Central ) had an efficient day on the mound, picking up a win and a save, in just 2.0 innings of work.  Burrillo came on in the seventh inning in both contests and did not allow a hit, earning him the game one victory and the game two save. 

Utica 4, Crown 3 – Game One Final
Utica's Ryan Watson (Deerfield, NY/Whitesboro) scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the seventh inning in game one to lift the Pioneers to a 4-3 victory on Tuesday. 

The Pioneers opened a 3-1 lead by the fourth inning, but Crown knotted the score at 3-3 in the bottom of the fifth, to set up the late game heroics for the Pioneers. Hobaica went 2-for-3 in the opener and scored one run, while Watson drove in Daniel Priore (Utica, NY/T.R. Proctor) for his lone RBI of the contest. 

Utica's Andrew Hobika, Jr. (Clinton, NY/Clinton) registered his first collegiate hit and also scored a run for the Pioneers in the top of the fourth inning after a sacrifice fly from Ryon Lupia (New York Mills, NY/New York Mills). 

Watson got his first start of the season on the mound and pitched six innings while striking out four and allowing two earned runs.  Burillo came on in the top of the seventh inning with the score tied at 3-3 and did not allow a hit and eventually earned the victory. 

Utica 6, Crown 5 – Game Two Final
Utica rallied from a 5-2 deficit in game two to earn the 6-5 win over Crown.  The Pioneers trailed 5-4 headed into the top of the seventh inning before Adam Pexton (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) scored to tie the game up and Bryce Patterson (Corning, NY/Corning East) followed with what proved to be the game-winning infield hit to help the Pioneers secure the one run victory.  Burillo relieved Ronald Mannella (Albion, NY/Albion) on the mound and shut Crown down in the bottom of the seventh to earn the save. 

Utica opened an early 2-0 lead in the third inning but Crown answered with five runs in the next two innings to take a 5-2 lead after four full innings. 

Both Watson and Burrillo finished game two with two RBI's. 

Ethan Bliss (Cooperstown, NY /Cooperstown) got the start on the mound for the Pioneers and struck out five.  Mannella did an excellent job in 2 2/3 innings of middle relief, allowing just two hits and no runs, and he was also credited with the victory.