Utica, NY - Dominant pitching and explosive offense over both games helped guide the Utica College baseball team to a sweep over Elmira College this afternoon. UC took game one 14-3 before coming back and taking game two 15-1 in seven innings as Daniel Parslow (Fonda, NY/Fonda-Fultonville) and James Roeschlaub (Auburn, NY/Auburn HS) each hurled complet games for the Pioneers.  
 
Game 1
Elmira jumped on Pioneers starter Daniel Parslow (Fonda, NY/Fonda-Fultonville) early as a two-out single put the Eagles ahead 1-0 in the 1st inning. UC responded in the home half when Shamariah McCullough (Brooklyn, NY/Nazareth Regional) singled home Sean Vanegas (Bronx, NY/Mt. St. Michael) to even the game at one. 
 
Utica scored six unanswered runs between the 2nd and 3rd inning to take a 7-1 lead into the 4th inning. Zac Cronk (Saratoga Springs, NY/Saratoga Central Catholic) drove in both runs in the 2nd inning on a single up the middle while Ryan Cardone (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) was responsible for three of the four runs in the 3rd inning as the freshman hit a three-run home run to center. Cronk drove in the other run in the 3rd on a sacrifice fly. 
 
Parslow allowed a run in the top of the 4th however, UC would get the run back plus an extra in the 5th as Cronk hit a sacrifice fly to center before McCullough singled home another as the Pioneers led 9-2 after five full. 
 
Parslow allowed one more run via sacrifice fly in the top of the 6th before the Pioneers erupted for five runs in the home half of the inning. Jason Story (Hilton, NY/Hilton HS) and Vanegas had two-RBI singles each while Joe Crossley (Marcy, NY/Whitesboro) walked home a run. After a leadoff single, Parslow retired the Eagles to cap off his complete game performance. In his seven innings, Parslow allowed three runs on five hits while striking out three. 
 
At the plate, six different Pioneers recorded two hits while Cardone (3), Story (2), Vanegas (2) and McCullough (2) had multiple RBIs as well as multiple hits. Cronk finished 1-for-1 with a team high four RBIs. 
 
Game 2
After starting pitcher James Roeschlaub (Auburn, NY/Auburn HS) escaped the top of the 1st allowing just one walk, the UC offense gave him some run support. 
 
Sean Vanegas (Bronx, NY/Mt. St. Michael) singled to start the home half of the 1st before stealing second and advancing to third on the throw. Two batters later, John Son (Mellville, NY/Half Hollow Hills) hit a ground ball to third that skipped off the third baseman and allowed Vanegas to score from third and Son to advance to second. After two walks loaded the bases, Matthew Fitzgerald (Clinton, NY/Notre Dame) singled to center to bring home two and give the Pioneers a 3-0 lead after one. 
 
Roeschlaub cruised through the 2nd inning before Shamariah McCullough (Brooklyn, NY/Nazareth Regional) drove home a pair with one out in the bottom half of the inning to extend UC's lead to 5-0. Two batters later, Joe Battista (South Glens Falls, NY/South Glens Falls) added two more runs on a single to right field to make it a 7-0 game. 
 
Both teams failed to produce a run until the 5th inning when Utica found the board again. Cronk singled home a run before Vanegas drove home two in the following at-bat to extend UC's lead to 10-0. Joe Battista (South Glens Falls, NY/South Glens Falls) walked home another run while Matthew Leviton (South River, NJ/South River) drove in another on a fielder's choice as the Pioneers took a 12-0 lead into the 6th. 
 
Roeschlaub gave up one run in the 6th for what would be his only blemish on the afternoon. After UC added three more runs in the bottom of the 6th, Roeschlaub retired the side in the 7th inning to end the game as a result of the 10-run mercy rule and cap off his second complete game of the season. Aside from the one run, Roeschlaub allowed just three hits while striking out nine Eagles. 
 
At the plate, Vanegas, McCullough, Son, Muentener and Cronk all recorded two hits. McCullough finished with a team-high four RBIs while Battista went 1-for-3 with three RBIs. As a team the Pioneers recorded 13 hits and worked eight walks. 
 
UC (16-13, 9-7 Empire 8) is back in action tomorrow when they travel to Houghton to face the Highlanders at 2 p.m. A win by either team would secure them the two-seed in the upcoming Empire 8 Conference Tournament.