UTICA, NY – The Utica College baseball team closed out its 2015 campaign with a loss to Houghton College on day two at the Empire 8 Conference Tournament Friday afternoon at the UC baseball field.  Houghton scored 11 runs in a span of four innings midway through the contest to earn the 13-3 victory.

Utica finished its season with a 20-16-1 overall record, marking its first 20 win season in 23 years.  The other two 20+ win teams were the 1991 and 1987 Pioneers.

Houghton took home fifth place in the conference tournament and caps its season with an 18-21 overall ledger. 

Utica junior transfer Brandon Thomas (West Winfield, NY/Mount Markham) wrapped up his first season at UC with a 2-for-2 effort and three RBIs. Jake Ryan (Kingston, NY/Kingston) went 2-for-5 with one run scored on the day, while senior catcher Thomas Dinnen (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Walter Panas ) went 2-for-4 at the plate. 

The Pioneer jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning behind a sacrifice fly from Brandon Thomas (West Winfield, NY/Mount Markham), scoring Jake Ryan (Kingston, NY/Kingston).

Houghton then took the lead in the second inning when Garrett Kirkpatrick doubled to right center, scoring Tage Johnson and Brett Rapan to hand the Highlanders a 2-1 advantage.

The Pioneers took the lead back after Thomas struck again, this time with a triple to right center, that scored Ryan Watson (Deerfield, NY/Whitesboro) and Benjamin Hobaica (Clinton, NY/Clinton). 

Houghton tied the contest up at 3-3 in the bottom of the third and then added four more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to take a 7-3 lead that it would not relinquish. The Highlanders tacked on six more run in the next two innings to close out the scoring on the day. 

Tage Johnson went 4-for-4 at the plate with three RBIs and three runs scored for Houghton. Kirkpatrick went 2-for-5 with two RBIs and one run scored.

Utica starting pitcher Ryan Watson (Deerfield, NY/Whitesboro) pitched 3.2 innings and struck out two, allowing seven runs. Jared Knowlton got the win on the mound for Houghton as he pitched 5.0 innings and struck out three.

Brandon Thomas (West Winfield, NY/Mount Markham) finishes the season with a team-best .363 average and 27 RBIs.  Dinnen capped his senior season with a .333 average on a team-best 43 hits.  Dinnen also added 26 RBIs.

Top-seeded Ithaca College will take on No. 2 Stevens in the championship game Saturday morning at 10 a.m. at the Utica College baseball field.  St. John Fisher will then take on SUNY Canton in the third place game at 1 p.m. For more information about the 2015 Empire 8 Baseball Tournament please visit the tournament website at www.ucpioneers.com/e8baseball.