Box Score UTICA, NY -  The Utica College baseball team saw no shortage of offense as they hosted Empire 8 opponent SUNY Canton in a doubleheader on Wednesday. In game one of the doubleheader, the Pioneers enjoyed a bountiful offensive effort as they came back from an early deficit to plate 20 runs on 19 hits in a dominant 20-2 win over the Roos at the Utica College baseball field.

In game two of the doubleheader, the Pioneers rallied from a 5-2 fourth inning deficit to tie it in the bottom of the eighth. The second game was suspended at that point before a pitch was thrown in the ninth, and the Pioneers and Roos will play that final inning in Canton, NY before the regularly scheduled game between the two set for April 24th.

The Pioneers are 6-14, and 2-4 in the Empire 8 conference. The Roos are 3-19 and still pursuing their first Empire 8 conference win of the year.

In the opener, Matthew Fitzgerald (Clinton, NY/Notre Dame) was 3-for-5 with three runs scored, while Tim Quinlan (Monroe, CT/Masuck) was also 3-for-5 and scored a pair of runs while knocking in three rbi. Chris Ramsundar was 3-for-3 with three runs scored, and Maki Medici (Latham, NY/Shaker) did the same while also driving in a pair of runs in game one. Matthew Leviton (South River, NJ/South River) scored three runs, and Ryan Palmer (Verona, NY/VVS) had three RBI.

Sean Morris (Califon, NJ/Voorhee) went five strong innings to earn the game one victory for the Pioneers. The junior allowed one run on five hits and struck out three as he remained unbeaten at 3-0. Jake Cavanagh (Plainville, NY/King Phillip Regional) and Taylor Hartman (Galway, NY/Galway) pitched an inning each of scoreless relief.

The Roos grabbed the early 1-0 lead on a wild pitch in the second, but the Pioneers were expedient in flipping the score in their favor. VVS graduates Christian Tiffin (Sherrill, NY/VVS) and Ryan Palmer (Verona, NY/VVS) each had an RBI single in the second to bring in Ramsundar and Charles McAllister (Baldwinsville, NY/C.W. Baker) as the Pioneers grabbed a permanent advantage at 2-1.

The Pioneers scored a run in each of the third and fourth innings to inch their lead further ahead, and Utica would go on to be miles ahead after a big fifth inning. The Pioneers pounded in ten runs in their half of the fifth inning, and were fueled by RBI doubles by Quinlan, Fitzgerald, and Leviton in the busy frame as they snagged a 14-1 lead.

The Pioneers added another six runs in the sixth inning, and cruised through the seventh to pick up the win in a thunderous offensive display.

In game two, Fitzgerald is 3-for-4 with a run scored, Leviton is 3-for-3 with a run scored and 2 RBI, and Zach McGettigan (Southbury, CT/Pomperaug) has a pair of hits and a run to his own credit. The run scored by McGettigan is the run that tied the game at 5-5 on an RBI single by Christian Tiffin (Sherrill, NY/VVS) in the eighth inning. Brendon Sarnowski (Scotia, NY/Scotia-Glenville) has thrown 3.1 innings of scoreless relief.

The Pioneers will host Houghton College on Thursday afternoon. Game time is scheduled for 4 p.m. Houghton leads the all-time series twelve games to nine.