POUGHKEEPSIE, NY - The Utica University baseball team fell in both games on Saturday afternoon to the Vassar College Brewers. Vasser took game one in eight innings, 5-4, before taking game two in seven innings, 8-2.
Game 1: Vassar 5, Utica 4 (8 Inn.)
Jason Story (Hilton, NY/Hilton) and
John Longeretta (Oriskany, NY/Oriskany) led the team with two hits each.
Josh Duval (Utica, NY/Proctor),
Joe Crossley (Marcy, NY/Whitesboro),
Dom Fasolo (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) and
Antonio Martinez (Sunrise, FL/Western) all had one. Crossley also totaled a team high two RBI with Longeretta finishing with one.
On the mound,
Austin Rhodes (Wappingers Falls, NY/Kennedy Catholic) went 5.1 innings allowing four runs on five hits and five walks with four strikeouts en route to the no decision.
Nicholas Greene (Rome, NY/Central Valley Academy) picked up the loss with just one unearned run allowed over 1.2 innings off of two hits and two walks.
Utica built an early 1-0 with a Longeretta RBI single in the top of the 1st inning. Rhodes tossed a clean bottom half before surrendering one run in the 2nd and 4th innings each as Vassar claimed a 2-1 edge entering the top of the 5th.
After reaching on an error,
Jacob Scalise (Utica, NY/Whitesboro) eventually came around to score on a wild pitch in the Pioneer half of the 5th to tie the game. Not long after, Crossley singled in Story and
Andrew Salbinski (Essex, CT/Valley Regional) with two outs to put the Pioneers ahead 4-2.
The Brewers eventually got the pair of runs back in the bottom of the 6th. With one out and two runners on, Rhodes was taken out for Greene. Back-to-back wild pitches brought home the runners from second and third to make it a 4-4 game.
Both teams went quietly in the 7th to force extra innings. Utica had runners on second and third with one out in the top of the 8th however, the next two batters struck out to send Vassar up with a chance to win.
With two on and one out, a sacrifice bunt caused a throwing error by Longeretta at third to send the runner home from second and end the game with a 5-4 Brewers win.
Game 2: Vassar 8, Utica 2 (7 Inn.)
Micah Fiorello (Brooktondale, NY/Ithaca) went 2-for-3 with two RBI at the dish in game two.
Jack Scanlon (Rochester, NY/Aquinas Institute),
Steve Sclafani (North Massapequa, NY/Farmingdale) and
Joe Crossley (Marcy, NY/Whitesboro) each had one.
Aidan McCue (Averill Park, NY/Averill Park) got the start and went three innings allowing two runs on five hits and four walks.
Peyton Newton (Weedsport, NY/Weedsport) picked up the loss after 0.2 innings allowing four runs on three hits, two walks and a hit batter.
Ben Freeman (Liverpool, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse) tossed the final 2.1 innings and gave up two runs on two hits and a walk while striking out three.
Vassar held a 2-0 lead entering the top of the 4th inning after scoring one run in the 2nd on a wild pitch and one more in the 3rd on a base hit.
The Pioneers tied the game in their half of the 4th. With two outs and runners on second and third, Fiorello singled through the middle of the infield to score
Josh Duval (Utica, NY/Proctor) and Crossley. However, the Brewers answered in a big way in the home half with four runs to jump out to a 6-2 lead after four full.
Between the 5th and 7th innings, Utica had two batters reach base while Vassar added runs in the bottom of the 5th and 6th innings to take game two by an 8-2 score.
Utica (9-20, 4-7 Empire 8) and Vassar will conclude the three-game series at 1 p.m. on Sunday with a single nine-inning game.
