UTICA, NY – The Utica College baseball team fell in both games against Empire 8 Conference opponent Elmira on Friday. The first game was a continued game from 4/2/16 and was picked up with Elmira leading 10-5 at the start of the sixth inning. The Soaring Eagles would expand the lead winning 16-5. The second game was a hard fought 10-7 loss by the Pioneers.
 
Elmira 16, Utica 5 – Game One
 
Utica's Alex Rocci (Utica, NY/Notre Dame)  got the start but only went one inning for the Pioneers, giving up seven hits and eight runs (seven earned) while walking two and striking out two. Dom Caccioppoli (Circleville, NY/Pine Bush ) pitched eight innings allowing 12 hits and eight runs (five earned while striking out four. Matthew Fitzgerald (Clinton, NY/Notre Dame) and JT Ross (New York Mills, NY/New York Mills) led the team's offense both going 3-for-5 with one RBI and one run scored.
 
Conor Bawiec got the start for Elmira and pitched seven innings giving up 11 hits and five runs (four earned) while striking out seven. Nick Sampogna pitched the final two innings giving up one hit. Bawiec led the Soaring Eagle offense going 4-for-5 with four RBIs and two runs scored.
 
Elmira used a six run first inning and a two run second inning to jump out to an 8-0 lead. Utica would get two back in the home half of the second to make it 8-2. UC started chipping away at the lead with a run in the third and two runs in the fourth to make it 8-5. The Soaring Eagles would add two runs in the fifth to make it 10-5. When the game was picked up where it left off in the top of the sixth neither team would score. In the seventh inning Elmira struck with one run. The Soaring Eagles added two runs in the eighth inning and three runs in the ninth inning to seal the victory.
 
 
Elmira 10, Utica 7 – Game Two
 
Joshua Webb (Verona, NY/VVS) got the start on the mound for Utica and went 2.2 innings giving up four hits and six runs (two earned) while walking three and striking out two. William Winsman (Palatine Bridge, NY/Canajoharie) pitched the final 6.1 innings allowing nine hits and four runs (three earned) while walking two and striking out three. Tim Quinlan (Monroe, CT/Masuck) led the offense going 3-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored.
 
Conor Bawiec got the start for the Soaring Eagles going five innings and giving up nine hits and seven runs (six earned) while walking one and striking out two. Blake Phelps pitched the final four innings allowing two hits and striking out one. Three different Elmira players scored two runs on the day.
 
Elmira struck first in the first inning scoring on a wild pitch to make it 1-0. The Soaring Eagles did the bulk of their damage in the third inning when they put up seven runs to take a commanding 8-0 lead. Utica battled back putting up three runs in the fourth when Matthew Fitzgerald (Clinton, NY/Notre Dame) hit home Quinlan, Louis Mongilia (New Hampton, NY/Goshen) singled home Fitzgerald, and Adam Pexton (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) grounded home Bryce Patterson (Corning, NY/Corning East) to make it 8-3. In the fifth inning the Pioneers put up four runs after Vincent Burillo (Montgomery, NY/Valley Central ) hit home JT Ross (New York Mills, NY/New York Mills), Quinlan tripled home two runs, and Fitzgerald hit home Quinlan to make it 8-7. Elmira would tack on two insurance runs in the eighth inning to seal the game at 10-7.