Utica, NY - The Utica College baseball team played its closest road game of the season on Tuesday as the team squared off with SUNY Poly. The Pioneers got the better of the Wildcats 15-5 while recording a season-high 19 hits as a team.
Brendon Sarnowski (Scotia, NY/Scotia-Glenville) took the bump for UC and ran into some early trouble. An error at shortstop helped Poly put across a run to take an early 1-0 lead.
The Pioneers' offensive showcase began in the 2nd inning when Zac Murdock-Wessnger belted a two run home run to right field to put Utica ahead 2-1, a lead they wouldn't surrender. Murdock-Wessinger finished the afternoon 4-for-5 with four RBI and three runs scored.
After a clean 2nd inning, Sarnowski was removed for
Jake Mangino (Sayville, NY/Sayville). Sarnowski finished his two innings allowing no earned runs on one hit with a pair of strikeouts.
The Pioneers added five more in the 3rd inning including an RBI double by
John Son (Mellville, NY/Half Hollow Hills) followed by an RBI single by
Joe Battista (South Glens Falls, NY/South Glens Falls). Battisita kept his hot bat going as he finished the game 5-for-6 at the dish with an RBI and three runs scored.
UC went on to score three more in the 4th inning to claim a 10-1 lead. The Wildcats produced two runs in the home half of the inning which was the end of Mangino's day and the start of
Christian Cicchetti's (West Babylon/West Babylon).
The freshman Cicchetti went two innings allowing no runs on two hits and two strikeouts while picking up the first win of his career.
Matthew Leviton (South River, NJ/South River) and Murdock-Wessinger drove in a pair of runs each in the 7th inning to help extend the Pioneers lead to 14-3. UC added another insurance run in the 9th before Poly scored two unearned in the bottom half as the Pioneers shut the door on the Wildcats, 15-5.
The combination of Sarnowski, Mangino, Cicchetti,
James Roeschlaub (Auburn, NY/Auburn HS) and
Donovan Felder (Binghamton, NY/Binghamton) held Poly to one earned run on eight hits while walking just one over nine innings.
Leviton capped his day off going 3-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored.
Ryan Cardone (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) also went 3-for-5 at the dish while driving in three runs.
The team has a quick turnaround as they hit the road again to face SUNY Cobleskill on Wednesday at 3 p.m.
