DAVENPORT, FL - The Utica University baseball team split its doubleheader against the Ohio Northern University Polar Bears on Tuesday. Utica took game one 7-3 before Ohio Northern came out with a 7-3 win of its own in game two.
Utica 7, Ohio Northern 3 (7 Inn.)
Dom Fasolo (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) finished with a team-high three hits going 3-for-3 at the plate with a double and a run.
John Longeretta (Oriskany, NY/Oriskany) put together a two-hit performance with two runs batted in.
On the mound,
James Roeschlaub (Auburn, NY/Auburn) went the distance allowing just three runs, two earned, on five hits while striking out four and walking two.
The sides exchanged scoreless innings up until the top of the 3rd when Ohio Northern took a brief 1-0 lead on a passed ball before the Pioneers piled on six runs in the home half.
With the bases loaded,
Joe Crossley (Marcy, NY/Whitesboro) was hit by a pitch for an RBI the hard way while a passed ball right after allowed
Steve Sclafani (North Massapequa, NY/Farmingdale) to come home from third to make it 2-1. A
Joe Battista (Gansevoort, NY/South Glens Falls) RBI groundout followed by a
John Son (Mellville, NY/Half Hollow Hills) RBI single and a two-RBI single to right field by
John Longeretta (Oriskany, NY/Oriskany) put Utica ahead by five in a flash.
From there, the Polar Bears scored once in the top of the 4th to inch within four runs, but Roeschlaub escaped the inning without any further damage. The southpaw went on to pitch clean 5th and 6th innings as well to keep the game at bay with Utica up 6-2.
Longeretta came around to score once more in the bottom half of the 6th as the Pioneers entered the 7th up 7-2. With the bases loaded and two away, Ohio Northern came within a swing away from tying the game after an error at shortstop allowed the runner from third to score, closing the team's gap to 7-3. However, Roeschlaub forced the next batter to fly out as he finished off the complete game win.
Ohio Northern 7, Utica 3 (7 Inn.)
The Pioneers had five hits as a team in game two, one each by
Joe Crossley (Marcy, NY/Whitesboro),
Joe Battista (Gansevoort, NY/South Glens Falls),
Nathan Yantz (Rochester, NY/Greece Arcadia),
Andrew Salbinski (Essex, CT/Valley Regional) and
Jason Story (Hilton, NY/Hilton). Story led the team with two RBI while
Brendan May (McGraw, NY/McGraw) also had one in the game.
Jack Krug (Rotterdam Junction, NY/Canajoharie) was credited with the loss after going 4.1 innings on the hill allowing four runs, three earned, on five hits while striking out three and walking a pair.
Chris D'Agostino (Liverpool, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse) finished the final 1.2 innings and surrendered three runs, two earned, on three hits.
Both teams left runners on base in the 1st inning however, the Pioneers made up for their share in the top of the 2nd. Following a leadoff walk worked by
Jack Bono (Frankfort, NY/Frankfort-Schuyler) and an
Andrew Salbinski (Essex, CT/Valley Regional) double, Story drove both runners home on a double to the right side of the field. Two batters later, May brought Story home by way of a sacrifice fly as Utica took a 3-0 lead into the home half.
Krug escaped a jam in the 2nd inning where the first two Ohio Northern batters reached base to keep the 3-0 Pioneer lead intact. The Polar Bears would go on to break through the following inning, taking advantage of a Utica E4 to trim their gap to two runs.
While the Utica bats fell silent, Ohio Northern further took advantage in the bottom of the 4th. The designated home team began their half of the frame with a leadoff home run before later tying the game on a single. The Polar Bears went on to score two more runs in each of the 5th and 6th innings while the Pioneers could not answer and would eventually fall in the second game.
Utica (6-2, 0-0 Empire 8) will conclude its Florida trip on Wednesday against Springfield College. First pitch is set for 3:30 p.m. from Lake Myrtle Park in Auburndale, FL.
