ONEONTA, NY - The Utica University baseball team fell to SUNY Oneonta 12-5 on Wednesday afternoon in a non-conference matchup.
 
Tanner Warren (Mohawk, NY/Central Valley Academy) had a career day going 3-for-5 including an inside the park home run which marked the first big fly of his Pioneer career. Caden Congdon (Cortland, NY/Cortland) smacked a pair of hits and scored once with Steve Sclafani (North Massapequa, NY/Farmingdale) going 1-for-2 with a pair of walks and a run scored. Josh Duval (Utica, NY/Proctor) went 1-4 and delivered a clutch two-run single with Jason Story (Hilton, NY/Hilton), Andrew Salbinski (Essex, CT/Valley Regional), and Micah Fiorello (Brooktondale, NY/Ithaca) each recording one hit.
 
Peyton Newton (Weedsport, NY/Weedsport) got the nod on the bump going 2.1 innings on six runs, five earned, on five hits, two walks, while punching out two and being credited with the loss. He was relieved by Kody Czternastek (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) who pitched the remainder of the inning allowing a pair of earned runs on three hits with one walk issued. Connor Ford (Swedesboro, NJ/Kingsway Regional) was next out of the bullpen going a fantastic four innings allowing just one earned run on three hits while punching out seven. Angelo Podagrosi (Utica, NY/Proctor) closed out the game pitching the final inning allowing three runs, all earned, on three hits with one walk.
 
The Pioneers offense got rolling immediately in the 1st with Tanner Warren (Mohawk, NY/Central Valley Academy) singling to begin the game and Joe Crossley (Marcy, NY/Whitesboro) walking to give the team two men on with no one out. A wild pitch put both in scoring position and Jason Story (Hilton, NY/Hilton) walked to load the bases with nobody out. Josh Duval (Utica, NY/Proctor) singled to center field to plate a pair and give Utica a 2-0 lead. Micah Fiorello (Brooktondale, NY/Ithaca) walked to load the bases, yet the Red Dragons escaped the jam before allowing anymore damage.
 
Oneonta manufactured a run in the bottom of the inning using an error to score and trim the lead to 2-1.
 
Utica's bats remained hot as Sclafani and Warren each smacked singles to give the team two men on with no outs in the 2nd. Yet, the Pioneers could not convert and stranded the pair on base.
 
The Red Dragons had a huge bottom of the 3rd plating five runs on five hits including three doubles to grasp a 6-2 lead. Oneonta tacked on a pair in the 4th to push the advantage to 8-2.
 
The Pioneers had another opportunity to score in the 5th as singles by Fiorello and Congdon paired with a Sclafani walk loaded the bases with zero outs. Yet, a hard-hit double play got Oneonta out of the jam.
 
Oneonta tacked on another run in the 7th to make it 9-2 but the Pioneers responded by plating three in the top of the 8th to cut the deficit to 9-5. Congdon singled with Sclafani reaching via walk and both were driven in by a Warren inside the park home run. The Red Dragons added three runs in the bottom of the inning to make it a 12-5 game which would stand as the game's final score. 
 
Utica (9-18, 4-7 Empire 8) will travel to face Vassar College in a three-game series with game one beginning on Saturday, April 20 at 1 p.m.