Box Score Winter Haven, FL – The Utica College baseball team closed out its week of competition at the Russ Matt Central Florida Invite on Thursday against the University of Maine-Farmington. The Pioneer's three-run inning in the seventh gave them the edge, as they improved to 6-4 on the season after the 9-7 victory.
 
Matthew Fitzgerald (Clinton, NY/Notre Dame) sparked the seventh-inning rally with an RBI triple that brought teammate Tim Quinlan (Monroe, CT/Masuck) in to score. Matthew Leviton (South River, NJ/South River) and Christian Tiffin (Sherrill, NY/VVS) then followed suit by bringing in two more runs to give UC a 9-6 lead heading into the eighth inning.
 
Christian Tiffin (Sherrill, NY/VVS) batted 3-for-4 in the game with one double and two RBI's. Ryan Palmer (Verona, NY/VVS) finished 2-for-4 at the plate with two RBI's, including an RBI single in the top of the sixth inning which tied the game up at 6-6.
 
Jake Cavanagh (Plainville, NY/King Phillip Regional) stepped on the mound in the second inning, as he earned the decision to become 1-1 so far this season. In over five innings of action, Cavanagh allowed just two earned runs and struck out three batters. With a two run lead in the bottom of the eight, Justin Shabman (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Kennedy Catholic) entered the game to close it out. Shabman did not allow one hit in his 1.2 innings pitched as he recorded the save.
 
Riley Chickering went 2-for-3 at the plate with a game-high three RBI's for the University of Maine-Farmington. Jimmy Parks batted 3-for-6 as the lead-off hitter in the lineup, tallying one RBI and two runs scored. First baseman Taylor Lockhart rattled off three hits in five at-bats, earning one RBI in the loss.
 
Maine-Farmington's Nate Goodline earned the decision on the mound, giving up three runs to Utica in 4.1 innings pitched. Goodline entered the game in the third inning to relieve started Justin Rodrigue after surrendering five earned runs in the second. Goodline's record for the season moves to 0-1 after the two-point loss.
 
The Pioneers will return to New York State after this quick stint in Florida, as they begin Empire 8 Conference play on March 23rd. The team is scheduled for a three-game series against Houghton College that starts with a single game that Friday at 3 p.m. before a doubleheader on Saturday at 12 p.m.