UTICA, NY – The Utica College baseball team lost to third-seeded St. John Fisher College 6-1 on day one at the inaugural Empire 8 Conference Baseball Tournament at Murnane Field on Thursday.  Fisher used a five run eighth inning to break a 1-1 tie as the Cardinals improved to 24-17 overall on the year. 

Fisher's Stephen Lewis went 7.0 innings, allowing seven hits and striking out five. Ryan Smith pitched two innings of hitless relief for the Cardinals and picked up the victory. Utica's Josh Webb pitched 7.0 innings and struck out five, but four costly errors by the Pioneers helped to extend Fisher's late rally. 

Utica senior catcher Thomas Dinnen (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Walter Panas ) went 3-for-4 on the day and drove in the Pioneers' lone run of the contest in the top of the first inning. Three straight first inning hits by Benjamin Hobaica (Clinton, NY/Clinton), Brandon Thomas (West Winfield, NY/Mount Markham) and Dinnen led to the 1-0 advantage for the Pioneers early in the contest. Hobaica went 2-for-4 on the day while Thomas and Adam Pexton (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) each added one hit a piece. 

The Cardinals took their first lead of the day in the bottom of the eighth.   Shane Barley reached and advanced to second on a throwing error.  Freshman Scott Eisenmenger then hit one to the warning track that the centerfielder dropped, putting two runners in scoring position.

Cody Wiktorksi snapped the 1-1 tie with a two-run double down the left field line.   Fisher added two more runs in the inning with a double from Simmons, scoring Wiktorksi and pinch-runner Tom Kline. Simmons then scored on a wild pitch to put the Cardinals up 6-1 in the bottom of the eighth.

Utica's record moved to 20-14-1 overall.

Utica will take on top-seeded Ithaca College at 10 a.m. Friday at Murnane Field. No. 7 Canton will take on No. 5 Houghton Friday at 10 a.m. No. 2 Stevens will take on No.3 St. John Fisher Friday at 2 p.m. at Murnane Field.