Rochester, NY - In the program's first Empire 8 Championship Series, the Utica College baseball team was swept by the No. 23 St. John Fisher Cardinals in two games on Friday afternoon at Dugan yard.
 
Game 1
Utica starter Griffin Baur (New York Mills, NY/New York Mills) ran into some early trouble against the highest ranking offense in Division III. A leadoff walk was followed by an RBI double to give the Cardinals a 1-0 lead two batters into the game. Another RBI single and a three-run home run put the Pioneers in an early 5-0 deficit entering the 2nd inning. Even with 1st inning struggles, Baur was able to record a strikeout to become the all-time strikeout leader in UC history. 
 
Fisher tacked on three more runs in the 2nd inning and two in the 4th to take a 10-0 lead into the 5th inning. Baur recorded his third strikeout of the game in the second inning which set the new program single season strikeout record. 
 
The Cardinals added five more runs in the 5th inning by way of a three-run home run and a two-run double, making it a 15-0 game. UC found the board in the 6th inning when Joe Crossley (Marcy, NY/Whitesboro) pieced an RBI single to center field that scored Ryan Cardone (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) from second base to make it a 15-1 game. 
 
However, Fisher responded with a grand slam and an RBI single in the 7th inning to extend its lead to 20-1. A dropped fly ball in the bottom of the 8th inning helped the Cardinals add one more to make it 21-1 with the Pioneers due for their last at-bats. 
 
The Pioneers would not be retired easily in the top of the 9th. Corssley recorded his second RBI of the game on a single to right field that scored Michael Muentener (Fairview, NJ/Cliff Side Park). With John Son (Mellville, NY/Half Hollow Hills) at the plate and two away, Zac Murdock-Wessinger (Utica, NY/Whitesboro) scored on a wild pitch which would advance Crossley to third. During the same at-bat, Son doubled to right center field to bring home Crossley, making it a 21-4 game. Joe Battista (South Glens Falls, NY/South Glens Falls) stepped in the box next and grounded the ball to second, however, an overthrow that went out of play forced Son to score from second base. 
 
A walk and hit by pitch brought catcher Nathan Yantz (Rochester, NY/Greece Arcadia) up to the plate with the bases loaded and two gone in the inning. Yantz would also be hit by a pitch which allowed Battista to come home from third base. Muentener came to the plate next with the bases still juiced, however, he popped out to second base as Fisher took game one, 21-6. 
 
Crossley finished the game 2-for-3 at the dish with a pair of RBIs and a run scored. Cardone was the only other Pioneer with multiple hits in the game as he also went 2-for-3 with a run scored. Brendon Sarnowski (Scotia, NY/Scotia-Glenville) and Justin McKenna (Pittsburgh, PA/Plum Senior) combined for 3.1 innings of relief while also combining for five hits allowed and seven runs, only one of which was earned. 
 
Game 2
After UC was held scoreless in the 1st, Fisher jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the home half with half of the runs coming from a two-run shot to left field. After holding the Pioneers scoreless in the top of the 2nd inning, the Cardinals went on to add eight more runs to go ahead 12-0. 
 
UC responded with a pair in the 3rd inning when Joe Battista (South Glens Falls, NY/South Glens Falls) connected for a two-RBI double to right center field that brought home Zac Cronk (Saratoga Springs, NY/Saratoga Central Catholic) and Michael Muentener (Fairview, NJ/Cliff Side Park), making it a 12-2 game in favor of Fisher. 
 
Between the 4th and 5th innings, Fisher tacked on eight more runs to go up 20-2. In the top of the 6th inning, Muentener hit an RBI single between third base and shortstop to send home Matthew Fitzgerald (Clinton, NY/Notre Dame) to make it a 20-3 game. 
 
The Cardinals kept their foot on the gas as they pushed across six more runs between the 7th and 8th innings, three of which coming off of the long ball, to enter the 9th inning ahead 26-3. UC was retired in order in the final inning as Fisher captured its third-ever Empire 8 title with a 26-3 win in the series clincher. 
 
Muentener led UC at the dish as the shortstop went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run. Battista added two hits in four attempts while also recording two RBIs. Matthew Leviton (South River, NJ/South River), Fitzgerald and Crossley also had two hits each. 
 
The team finishes the season with 18 wins, tied for the 6th most wins in a season in program history, as well as setting new team single season records for runs scored and strikeouts as well as reaching its first Empire 8 Championship.