UTICA, NY – The Utica College baseball team fell 8-2 to Empire 8 Conference opponent Stevens on Wednesday. The Ducks improve to 17-10 overall with a 9-2 conference record while Utica now stands at 2-15 overall with a 2-7 conference record. The Pioneers return to action this weekend for a three game conference showdown against Ithaca. Saturday's doubleheader starts at 1p.m. while Sunday's game starts at 12 p.m.

Utica fell into an early 2-0 deficit as the Ducks took a 2-0 lead in the first. The game was quiet until the fifth inning when Stevens struck for three runs in the inning to take a 5-0 lead. Utica got on the board in the sixth inning when Tim Quinlan (Monroe, CT/Masuck) singled home JT Ross (New York Mills, NY/New York Mills). Stevens added one run in the seventh and two runs in the eighth to take a 8-1 lead in the ninth. Utica added a run in the final inning but could not complete the comeback.
 
Joshua Webb (Verona, NY/VVS) got the start for UC and went four innings striking out three and giving up three hits and two runs (one earned). William Winsman (Palatine Bridge, NY/Canajoharie) pitched two innings giving up three runs while Brett Sarnowski (Scotia, NY/Scotia-Glenville) pitched 1.2 innings giving up three runs. Dom Caccioppoli (Circleville, NY/Pine Bush ) finished the final 1.1 innings allowing two hits and no runs. Tim Quinlan (Monroe, CT/Masuck) had one hit and one RBI while JT Ross (New York Mills, NY/New York Mills) and Todd Gardner (Hudson, NY/Hudson) each scored runs.
 
Robert Robbins got the start for the Ducks and pitched five innings, striking out seven. Four pitchers would each pitch one inning combining for seven strikeouts and two runs allowed. Zeph Walters led the Stevens attack with two hits and three RBIs.