UTICA, NY – The Utica College baseball team swept Keuka College Wednesday afternoon, 8-5 and 10-8, at the UC Baseball Field.  Catcher Thomas Dinnen (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Walter Panas ) put together a 6-for-7 day at the plate with five RBI and two runs to lead the Pioneers.

UC improves to 19-13 and returns to the diamond Friday when it welcomes Cazenovia College to the UC Baseball Field for Senior Day.  First pitch is set for 4 p.m.  The Pioneers need two more wins to tie the most wins in a season in 24 years.  The 1991 Pioneers went 21-8.

The Wolfpack falls to 12-23 overall and heads to Cazenovia on Saturday for a NEAC doubleheader (1 p.m.)

Utica 8, Keuka 5 – Game One Final

After two quiet innings, the Pioneers opened up the scoring in the bottom of the third as they batted around the order scoring four runs on seven hits.  UC used back-to-back RBI doubles by Benjamin Hobaica (Clinton, NY/Clinton) and Ryan Watson (Deerfield, NY/Whitesboro) followed by five consecutive singles to take a 4-0 lead.

Keuka answered with four runs of its own over the next two innings as it scored one in fourth and three in the fifth to knot up the contest, 4-4.

UC regained its three run edge in the bottom of the frame with the help of three straight base on balls including two hit batters. Adam Pexton (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) drove in the go ahead run on a sacrifice fly followed by a Jake Ryan (Kingston, NY/Kingston) two RBI single through the right side as Utica moved to a 7-4 lead.

The Pioneers added an insurance run in the sixth before closing out the game one victory, 8-5.

Stephen Szatko (Sauquoit, NY/Sauquoit Valley) tossed his fourth complete game of the season as he improved to 6-2. Szatko allowed six hits and four runs while fanning three in the win.

Hobaica, Watson and Thomas Dinnen (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Walter Panas ) led the UC offense each with two hits and a combined five RBI and three runs scored.  Dinnen added three RBI while Watson chipped in with two RBI and two doubles.

Utica 10, Keuka 8 – Game Two Final

The second and third innings featured a combined 10 runs with the visitors holding a 6-4 advantage headed into the midway point.  KC added two more in the top of the fourth as it moved to an 8-4 lead.

Designated hitter Matthew DeMartino (Oceanside, NY/Oceanside) cracked a two-run homer down the left field line in the second for the Pioneers first two runs.  In the third, Thomas Dinnen (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Walter Panas ) drove in two runs on an infield single as UC trailed by four runs.

Utica added three scores in the bottom of the fifth and another three in the sixth as it worked its first lead of game two and went on to earn the afternoon sweep.

Joshua Webb (Verona, NY/VVS) came out of the bullpen to earn his fourth victory of the season on the mound. Webb improved to 4-3 as he worked 2.2 innings allowing just one hit.

Dinnen went 4-for-4 for the second time this season and added a triple, two runs scored and two RBI in the game two victory.