UTICA, NY – The Utica College baseball team split a pair of games on the road at SUNY Cobleskill on Monday afternoon. The Pioneers dropped game one 2-0, but rebounded and used a seven-run sixth inning to defeat the host Fighting Tigers 10-5 in game two.
UC has now won six of its last eight games and improved to 12-16 overall on the year. The Pioneers return to action on Thursday when they travel to SUNY Canton to take on the Roos at 2 p.m.
Zach McGettigan (Southbury, CT/Pomperaug) continued his impressive freshman season as he went 3-for-8 with two runs scored and three stolen bases in the leadoff spot for the Pioneers.
Patrick Fitzgerald (Clinton, NY/Notre Dame) went 3-for-7 with two RBIs and a stolen base.
Cobleskill 2, Utica 0 – Game One Final
Cobleskill took a 1-0 lead on an error in the first inning and added a second run after an RBI single in the sixth inning to earn a 2-0 victory over the Pioneers in game one. Cobleskill's Kristopher Bluman went 6.0 strong innings and did not allow a run while striking out five. Mitchell Holmes came on in the seventh for the home team and closed the door to earn the save while keeping the Pioneers off the scoreboard.
AJ Farina (Sherrill, NY/VVS) got the start in game one for Utica and struck out three while allowing just one earned run on eight hits in 5.1 innings of work.
Taylor Hartman (Galway, NY/Galway) came on in relief and closed the game for Utica.
Zach McGettigan (Southbury, CT/Pomperaug),
Kiernan Briggs (Fort Plain, NY/Fort Plain),
Tim Quinlan (Monroe, CT/Masuck),
Patrick Fitzgerald (Clinton, NY/Notre Dame) and
Maki Medici (Latham, NY/Shaker) each posted one hit for the Pioneers.
Utica 10, Cobleskill 5 – Game Two Final
Utica scored seven runs in the top of the sixth to rally from a 5-3 deficit as the Pioneers came away with a 10-5 victory in game two. UC posted 13 hits in the contest.
Quinlan got the Pioneers going in the sixth inning when he reached on an error with the bases loaded to score
Daniel Kuehnle (Memphis, NY/Jordan Elbridge). Senior
Kyle George (Oneida, NY/Oneida) then hit a bases clearing -- three-RBI --double to score Quinlan, Briggs and Medici.
Patrick Fitzgerald (Clinton, NY/Notre Dame) capped the Pioneers big sixth inning with a two-RBI single, scoring
Josh Brickman (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool ) and his brother
Matthew Fitzgerald (Clinton, NY/Notre Dame) to give UC a commanding 10-5 lead.
UC got on the board early in the first inning when Quinlan scored McGettigan on a fielder's choice. Cobleskill then plated three runs in the next two innings to take a 3-1 lead into the fourth.
Kuehnle and Matt Fitzgerald each posted an RBI single over the course of the fourth and fifth innings to tie the ballgame back up at 3-3. Cobleskill took the lead back in the fifth inning before the visitors rallied in the sixth inning to earn the victory.
McGettigan finished game two with a 2-for-5 effort at the plate and two runs scored.
Kyle George (Oneida, NY/Oneida) was 2-for-4 at the place with two RBIs, while
Matthew Fitzgerald (Clinton, NY/Notre Dame) went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and one RBI.
Patrick Fitzgerald (Clinton, NY/Notre Dame) and
Daniel Kuehnle (Memphis, NY/Jordan Elbridge) combined to go 4-for-7 with three RBIs.
Mark Spina (Frankfort, NY/Frankfort-Schuyler) got the nod on the mound for UC and allowed just one earned run in 4.0 innings of work while striking out three.
Justin McKenna (Pittsburgh, PA/Plum Senior HS) earned the victory in middle relief, while
Joe Palmieri (West Islip, NY/West Islip) closed out the contest allowing just three hits and striking out two in the final 2.0 innings of the contest.
