ROCHESTER, NY- The Utica College baseball team plated two runs in the ninth inning, but it was not enough as the Pioneers fell to top-seeded St. John Fisher College, 6-5, in the elimination game of the Empire 8 Conference baseball tournament. 
 
The Pioneers wrap up their season with a 9-25-1 overall record.  Utica had an impressive showing in the E8 Tournament as the Pioneers topped Fisher in the opening game, and then lost the other two contests of the tournament to the Cardinals and Ithaca College by just one run each.  Fisher, meanwhile advances to the championship game to take on undefeated Ithaca on Saturday at 3 p.m.
 
After falling into a 4-0 hole in the first three innings of play, UC responded to score three runs in the top of the fourth.  First, JT Ross (New York Mills, NY/New York Mills) scored on a fielding error by the second baseman.  Then, a pair of RBI singles by Bryce Patterson (Corning, NY/Corning East) and Christian Tiffin (Sherrill, NY/VVS) drove in a pair of runs to bring Utica within one. 
 
The Cardinals added a run in the sixth and eighth innings to take a three-run lead into the final inning.  With runners on second and third and one out, freshman Matthew Fitzgerald (Clinton, NY/Notre Dame) was able to score on a wild pitch.  Then, Tiffin was able to drive in Patterson on a ground out to bring the Pioneers within one.  With two outs, Cardinal pitcher Marc Iseneker was able to strikeout senior Adam Pexton (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) to get the final out and hang on for the victory.
 
Patterson, Tiffin, and Jake Ryan (Kingston, NY/Kingston) led Utica as each went 2-for-4 on the day, with Patterson hitting a clutch double in the ninth.  JT Ross (New York Mills, NY/New York Mills) and senior Vincent Burillo (Montgomery, NY/Valley Central ) also had hits for the Pioneers.  Senior William Winsman (Palatine Bridge, NY/Canajoharie) struck out two and allowed five earned runs in eight innings of work, while Iseneker fanned seven in the win.