UTICA, NY – The Utica College baseball team tied visiting Cazenovia College, 7-7, Friday on Senior Day at the Utica College Baseball Field. The game was called after the 11th inning due to darkness. Senior
Benjamin Hobaica (Clinton, NY/Clinton) went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and one RBI for the Pioneers while
Ryan Watson (Deerfield, NY/Whitesboro),
Brandon Thomas (West Winfield, NY/Mount Markham) and
Matthew DeMartino (Oceanside, NY/Oceanside) each added two hits.
UC (19-13-1) returns to the diamond on Wednesday as it heads across town to Clinton, NY to face Hamilton College in the 28
th annual Jackie Robinson Game at Royce Field.
Utica hurlers
Ryan Watson (Deerfield, NY/Whitesboro) and Josh Webb pitched 5.2 and 5.1 innings, respectively. Watson allowed two earned runs and struck out seven while Webb came on and allowed two earned runs and struck out five in the extended relief effort.
Each team scored one run in the first to knot the score at 1-1 after one full inning of play. Caz grabbed another run in the top of the second before UC worked its first lead of the day, plating three runs in the bottom of the second to take a 4-2 edge.
The Pioneers rallied with two outs in the second as
Daniel Priore (Utica, NY/T.R. Proctor) ripped an RBI double to left center field.
Jake Ryan (Kingston, NY/Kingston) and Benjamin Hobiaca followed with RBI hits to give Utica the 4-2 lead.
UC added another run in the third off an
Adam Pexton (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) single to right field, giving the home team a 5-2 advantage.
After two innings of scoreless play, the Wildcats put together a three run sixth to knot the contest up, 5-5.
Watson doubled in the bottom of the seventh, scoring Hobaica, to hand UC a 6-5 lead headed into the eighth inning of action. Caz took the lead in the top of the eighth after Brent Baker and Dan Crozier each registered RBI singles.
Utica's
Thomas Dinnen (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Walter Panas ) recorded a game-tying sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Watson, to tie the score at 7-7 in the bottom of the ninth. After two full extra innings the umpires halted the contest due to darkness.
Cazenovia's record moved to 12-21-1 on the year. Dan Colburn went 3-for-5 at the plate with two runs scored for the Wildcats while Baker finished the contest with three hits, two RBIs and one run scored. Ryan Meyer also totaled three hits and added two runs scored.