WINTER HAVEN, FL - The Utica University baseball team swept the University of Maine Presque Isle on Monday to move the team to 3-0 in its RussMatt Central Florida Invitational games. 
 
Utica 16, UMPI 8 (7 Inn.)
 
Andrew Salbinski (Essex, CT/Valley Regional) led the Pioneers with a 3-for-5 performance at the plate with two RBI and a run scored. Joe Crossley (Marcy, NY/Whitesboro), Ty King (Cicero, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse), Steve Sclafani (North Massapequa, NY/Farmingdale), Jason Story (Hilton, NY/Hilton) and Joe Battista (Gansevoort, NY/South Glens Falls) all had two-hit games as well, Battista doing so with three RBI. John Son (Mellville, NY/Half Hollow Hills) had a team-high five RBI thanks to a 4th inning grand slam. 
 
On the hill, Derrike Goutremout (Chaumont, NY/Lyme Central) earned his first collegiate victory after going five innings allowing three runs, one earned, on four hits with five strikeouts. Ben Freeman (Liverpool, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse) (1 IP, 5 ER, 3 H, 1 K) and Brendan May (McGraw, NY/McGraw) (1 IP, 0 H, 2 K) rounded out the game on the bump for the Pioneers. 
 
Utica's red-hot bats from Sunday carried over to the top of the 1st inning as the team hung up three runs before Goutremout took the mound. After a pair of walks, Battista tripled home May and Crossley for a quick 2-0 lead. The Pioneers got one more in the frame on a Son sacrifice fly. 
 
Goutremout escaped the bottom half of the 1st with little trouble while an inning later UMPI found the board. After leadoff double, Goutremout committed an error on a bunt which allowed the runner to score from second base to make it a 3-1 game. However, the freshman settled down and got out of the jam. 
 
Utica got the run back in the top of the 3rd before UMPI answered right back with one of its own in the bottom half as the game entered the top of the 4th with the Pioneers leading 4-2. This is where the Utica offense took off. 
 
With two away and the bases juiced for Son in the top of the 4th, the senior sent one over the left field fence to give the Pioneers some breathing room at 8-2. UMPI came back with one run in the bottom half to trail 8-3 after four full. 
 
Utica added two more in the 5th, as well as three in both the 6th and 7th innings, while UMPI's five-run 6th left little impact on the result as Utica pulled away for an eight-run win. 
 
Utica 5, UMPI 3 (7 Inn.)
 
Dom Fasolo (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) led the way at the plate in game two as he went 3-for-3 with a run scored. John Son (Mellville, NY/Half Hollow Hills) and Brendan May (McGraw, NY/McGraw) had two-hit performances as well while Jack Bono (Frankfort, NY/Frankfort-Schuyler) was responsible for the lone RBIs in the game as he had two while going 1-for-2. 
 
On the mound, Kooper Knabe (Cortland, NY/Cortland) went six strong innings allowing three runs, two earned, on five hits while striking out eight and walking one. May came on in relief from shortstop in the top of the 7th and earned his first save of the year after retiring the side in order with two strikeouts. 
 
The bottom of the 1st made all the difference for Utica in the second game. After a clean 1st in the away half for Knabe, the Pioneers scored each of their five runs in the bottom half. 
 
With runners on first and second and no outs, an error by the UMPI right fielder allowed May to score from second for a 1-0 lead. Back-to-back passed balls allowed Joe Crossley (Marcy, NY/Whitesboro) and Joe Battista (Gansevoort, NY/South Glens Falls) to score before Bono cleaned up with a two-RBI double for a 5-0 lead after one full. 
 
Over the next two innings, Knabe gave up just one hit and entered the 4th without a blemish. However, UMPI came across home for an unearned run in the top of the 4th before a two-out home run in the 5th closed UMPI's gap to 5-3. Knabe would go on to finish off the inning with a strikeout and then set down the UMPI bats in order in the top of the 6th to keep the Pioneers two-run lead intact. 
 
The Utica bats came up dry again in the bottom half, setting up May to come in for his first save opportunity of the year in the top of the 7th. The senior retired the first two batters he faced via strikeout before a groundout to Antonio Martinez (Sunrise, FL/Western) at shortstop ended the game to give the Pioneers the sweep. 
 
Utica (5-1, 0-0 Empire 8) will travel to Davenport, FL on Tuesday for a doubleheader against Ohio Northern University. Game one is set to begin at 2:45 p.m.