UTICA, NY - The Utica University baseball game completed its series sweep of the Elmira College Soaring Eagles with a 15-5, eight-inning win on Sunday afternoon. 
 
The brilliance of Jake Mangino (Sayville, NY/Sayville) was on full display as the senior tossed 4.1 innings of near-perfect ball. Mangino faced just 14 batters in his relief stint and was responsible for allowing just one walk to go with no runs on no hits with seven strikeouts. 
 
Joe Crossley (Marcy, NY/Whitesboro) had a great afternoon at the dish as he went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and four runs scored. John Son (Mellville, NY/Half Hollow Hills) totaled three hits in six at-bats while Dom Fasolo (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro), Brendan May (McGraw, NY/McGraw), Antonio Martinez (Sunrise, FL/Western) and Jack Bono (Frankfort, NY/Frankfort-Schuyler) all had multi-hit games as well. Fasolo's three RBIs led the Pioneers while Joe Battista (Gansevoort, NY/South Glens Falls) and Jason Story (Hilton, NY/Hilton), along with Crossley, each drove in a pair. 
 
Utica jumped on the board first after a great top of the 1st inning on the mound by James Roeschlaub (Auburn, NY/Auburn). Joe Battista (Gansevoort, NY/South Glens Falls) drove in his first run of the day on a sacrifice fly for a quick 1-0 lead. 
 
However, with the help of some defensive miscues by Utica, Elmira jumped out front in the top of the 2nd with three runs coming across. 
 
The Pioneers came right back with a four-spot in the bottom half. Crossley drove home a pair on a double down the left field line before madness struck. With Fasolo up and runners at second and third, the junior popped one up in foul territory in what looked to be routine play by the Elmira first baseman, Chris Jones. Upon catching the ball, it was ruled that Jones dropped the ball out of play on the transfer. By rule, Fasolo would be credited with a two-RBI sacrifice fly as the ball going out of play allowed Crossley to take an extra base and score from second. 
 
The Soaring Eagles continued to battle back though. In the same inning that saw Aidan McCue (Averill Park, NY/Averill Park) enter for Roeschlaub, Elmira came within one run following the 3rd before evening the score at 5-5 with another run in the top of the 4th. 
 
From there, however, it was all Utica on offense and the Jake Mangino (Sayville, NY/Sayville) show on the bump. The team regained the lead with an RBI walk drawn by Battista in the 4th while Mangino followed up with flawless pitching from the 5th inning on. The Pioneers touched home nine more times between the 6th and 8th innings as May ended the game via 10-run rule in the 8th on an RBI single up the middle. 
 
With the win, the Pioneers become the first 10-win team in the Empire 8 and, for the time being, hold a slight points advantage in the standings over 9-0 St. John Fisher. 
 
Utica (19-8, 10-2 Empire 8) will make the short trip to Hamilton College on April 18 for the Jackie Robinson Game. First pitch from Clinton, NY is set for 4 p.m.