WAYNE, NJ - The Utica University baseball team dropped its opening day game to the William Paterson Pioneers 12-1 on Saturday afternoon. 
 
Four Pioneers recorded a hit in the game including Brendan May (McGraw, NY/McGraw), who drove in the team's lone run, and Joe Battista (Gansevoort, NY/South Glens Falls), who became the 17th player in program history to record 100 career hits with his 9th inning single. 
 
On the mound, Ryan Cardone (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) was given the loss after tossing two innings allowing three runs on five hits over 11 batters faced. James Roeschlaub (Auburn, NY/Auburn) pitched three innings in relief allowing three runs, two earned, on four hits while striking out three and walking four. Frederick Callo Jr. (Milton, NY/Marlboro) also made his Utica debut on the bump going for 2.1 innings allowing three runs on three hits to go with three strikeouts. 
 
After Utica went down in order in the top half of the 1st inning, William Paterson jumped on the board first with a pair of runs in the home half. A one out home run was immediately followed by a double to the gap which set up a RBI single to right as the Pioneers trailed 2-0 going into the 2nd. 
 
Another scoreless inning by the Pioneers and a leadoff shot to right field by William Paterson in the bottom half would then have the game at 3-0 entering the 3rd in favor of WP. 
 
Utica threatened in the top of the 4th with the team's first scoring opportunity of the afternoon. Joe Battista (Gansevoort, NY/South Glens Falls) took first on a hit by pitch before advancing the second base on a balk while John Son (Mellville, NY/Half Hollow Hills) worked a walk to give the team runners at first and second with two away. However, Dom Fasolo (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) was called out on strikes as WP worked out of the jam. In the bottom half of the inning, WP strung together a few hits to bring in two runs and increase their lead to 5-0. Pitcher James Roeschlaub (Auburn, NY/Auburn) worked out of the jam getting a strike out and two pop ups to strand two runners on base and limit the damage.
 
To begin the top of the 5th, Utica recorded two outs before starting a rally. John Longeretta (Oriskany, NY/Oriskany) was hit by a pitch and then Steve Sclafani (North Massapequa, NY/Farmingdale) singled to left field. Brendan May (McGraw, NY/McGraw) followed with a double to deep center field and Longeretta scored the first Pioneer run of the day. In the bottom of the inning, a pair of hits and a walk had the bases loaded for WP. A hit by pitch increased the WP lead to 6-2 yet a double play got Roeschlaub and the Pioneers out of the inning.
 
A scoreless sixth inning featured just zero hits for either side as Utica pitcher Frederick Callo Jr. (Milton, NY/Marlboro) tossed a solid inning after relieving Roeschlaub. 
 
The seventh inning was the same as both teams did not register a hit. Callo continued to impress with two strikeouts and a groundout in the inning. 
 
To begin the eighth inning the Pioneers were set down in order. WP got the bats going with six hits and six runs in the bottom of the inning. WP took its 12-1 lead into the final inning of play and would ultimately take the win by the same score. 
 
Utica (0-1, 0-0 Empire 8) will return to action on Sunday for a doubleheader against Yeshiva University from Diamond Nation in Flemington, NJ. Game one is set to begin at noon.