CLINTON, NY - The Utica University baseball team met with Hamilton College for the 34th edition of the Jackie Robinson Classic on Tuesday evening. The Continentals won the annual contest between the programs, 14-5, in seven innings. 
 
Joe Crossley (Marcy, NY/Whitesboro) was Utica's MVP recipient while Jackson Sattinger was Hamilton's. 
 
Crossley led the Utica offense going 2-for-3 with a walk and an RBI. Derek Holmes (Blossvale, NY/Camden) connected for his second home run of the year with a solo blast. Matthew Kanyuk (Mellville, NY/Hills East) tripled in the contest while five other Pioneers had a single. Josh Duval (Utica, NY/Proctor) also led the team with two RBIs. 
 
Nicholas Greene (Rome, NY/Central Valley Academy) was credited with the loss after throwing one inning to open the game. Ben Freeman (Liverpool, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse) tossed three innings in relief with two runs allowed on one hit and two walks. Jordan Henkel (Melville, NY/Walt Whitman) threw the second most innings on the team as he went 2.2 with six runs allowed, all of which unearned, on three hits, three walks and three strikeouts. 
 
Hamilton, serving as the designated away team, opened the game with four runs in the top of the 1st. The difference maker came in the form of a two-out, three-run home run. The Pioneers went down in order in each of the first two frames while the Continentals went on to tack on two more runs in the top of the 3rd to extend their lead to 6-0. 
 
Utica got those two runs back in the following half inning. Duval drove in the first on a fielder's choice before John Longeretta (Oriskany, NY/Oriskany) singled in Micah Fiorello (Brooktondale, NY/Ithaca). The team trimmed its deficit even more in the bottom of the 4th as Crossley and Duval each singled in runs to make it 6-4. 
 
However, Hamilton responded with two of its own in the top of the 5th while the Pioneer offense was silenced over their half of the 5th as well as the 6th.
 
Leading 8-4 in the top of the 7th, the Continentals put up six runs, all of which were unearned and came with two outs, to push its lead to 14-4. Holmes provided Utica with one more run in the bottom of the 7th on a one-out solo shot over the right field wall before the next two batters went down on strikes to finish the game. 
 
Utica (14-22, 8-7 Empire 8) will prepare for its final regular season series of the year this weekend as the team welcomes Keuka College. The teams will meet for a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. on Saturday.