Winter Haven, Fl. – The Utica College baseball team split a pair of high scoring games against Trine University on day two at the Russ Matt Invitational in Winter Haven, Florida on Tuesday. Utica won game one 26-9, marking the most runs scored in a single game by the Pioneers dating back to 1987 when they defeated Colgate, 27-2.  Trine bounced back and won game two 16-7.

Senior outfielder JT Ross (New York Mills, NY/New York Mills) finished the day going 8-for-10 at the plate with six RBIs and six runs scored, while Adam Nell ( Vernon, NY/VVS) went 6-for-8 with four runs scored and three RBIs.  Jake Ryan (Kingston, NY/Kingston) went 5-for-10 with five runs scored, four RBIs and one stolen base, while Tom Carrigan (Niskayuna, NY/Niskayuna) also went 5-for-10 with four RBIs and four runs scored. Sophomore Tim Quinlan (Monroe, CT/Masuck) finished the double header going 3-for-9 with six RBIs, three runs scored and one home run.

Utica is now 4-2 overall and will take a day off on Wednesday before returning to action on Thursday when the Pioneers will take on Loras College in a double header starting at 10 a.m. at Lake Myrtle Park's Main Field in Auburndale, Florida.

Utica 26, Trine 9 – Game One
Utica scored 21 of its 26 runs in the final two innings of the game one victory.  The Pioneers totaled 28 hits in the contest, including a perfect 6-for-6, six RBI effort from JT Ross (New York Mills, NY/New York Mills).  He posted four doubles in the contest.

Tim Quinlan (Monroe, CT/Masuck) went 3-for-5 with five RBIs, posted his first home run of the season, and also added a triple in the game.  All nine of the Pioneer starters registered at least one hit and one run scored in the game, including leadoff man Jake Ryan (Kingston, NY/Kingston) who went 4-for-6 with four runs scored.

Carrigan went 2-for-6 with three RBIs and junior transfer catcher Ben Julian (Wynantskill, NY/Troy) went 2-for-6 with two RBIs.  First baseman Adam Nell ( Vernon, NY/VVS) was 3-for-4 at the plate with two doubles and also added three RBIs and three runs scored.  Second baseman Brian McGuire (Herkimer, NY/Herkimer) was 3-for-4 with three RBIs and shortstop Christian Tiffin (Sherrill, NY/VVS) was 2-for-3 with three runs scored.

Eric Sahagian (Schenectady, NY/Guilderland) got the start on the mound for Utica and struck out two in 1.1 innings of work, before all-conference returner Dom Caccioppoli (Circleville, NY/Pine Bush ) came on and scattered five hits and struck out four in 3.2 innings to earn the victory. Josh Call (Syracuse, NY/Solvay) closed the door with two strikeouts in 2.0 innings of work on the mound.

UC trailed 5-4 headed into the third inning before tying the contest up in the bottom of the third, 5-5.  Trine took the lead back, 6-5 in the top of the fifth, before the Pioneers exploded with nine runs in the bottom of the fifth to take a 14-6 advantage.  Trine tacked on three runs in the top of the sixth, but the Pioneers did not back down and posted 12 runs in the bottom of the sixth to seal the victory.

Trine 16, Utica 7 – Game Two
Utica held a 6-3 advantage heading into the bottom of the fifth inning before Trine broke out with a nine run bottom half of the fifth to take a 12-6 lead. Trine pushed home four more runs in the bottom half of the sixth inning and went on to earn a nine run victory, 16-7. 

The Pioneers posted 12 hits in game two, including 3-for-4 efforts from Tom Carrigan (Niskayuna, NY/Niskayuna) and Adam Nell ( Vernon, NY/VVS).  Ross went 2-for-4 at the plate and scored two runs, while cleanup hitter Mike Fancher (Gloversville, NY/Gloversville) went 2-for-3 with three RBIs, two doubles and one run scored.

Freshman lefty Haydn Demers-St. Hilaire (North Lawrence, NY/St. Lawrence Central) got his first collegiate start and struck out five in 4.1 innings of action.  Brett Sarnowski (Scotia, NY/Scotia-Glenville) also came on in relief and scattered four hits in 1.1 innings on the mound.