UTICA, NY - The Utica University baseball team is set to play its inaugural series against the Alfred University Saxons at Houghton University this weekend. Due to inclement weather, the sides will meet for a doubleheader on Sunday starting at 10 a.m. with the single game being played on Monday, April 8 at 11 a.m.
Follow Along: Alfred will provide live video and stats through
https://portal.stretchinternet.com/alfred/.
Last Time Out: The team dropped both of its games to St. John Fisher University on Saturday by a 19-1 (7 Inn.) score in game one and 13-7 in game two of the twin bill.
Game 1: Fisher 19, Utica 1 (7 Inn.)
The Cardinals combined for 19 runs on 11 hits, 13 walks and four Pioneer errors while Utica was held to one run on two hits.
Matthew Kanyuk (Mellville, NY/Hills East) connected for a 2nd inning single through the left side of the infield while
Jason Story (Hilton, NY/Hilton) notched his Empire 8 leading fourth home run of the year.
Dominick Tallarino (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) made his collegiate debut on the mound and helped keep the Cardinals at bay. The Rome Free Academy graduate tossed four scoreless frames with just one hit allowed and three walks while striking out four.
Game 2: Fisher 13, Utica 7
Derek Holmes (Blossvale, NY/Camden) turned in a 2-for-4 effort at the plate in game two that included an electric grand slam and a double. He drove in five runs in all and scored twice himself.
Micah Fiorello (Brooktondale, NY/Ithaca) also had two hits, one of which going for two bases, with a run scored.
Josh Duval (Utica, NY/Proctor),
Jack Scanlon (Rochester, NY/Aquinas Institute) and
Jacob Pian (Stony Point, NY/North Rockland) each had one hit.
Lance Berger (Lindenhurst, NY/Saint Anthony's) drove in a run as well.
Kody Czternastek (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) pitched well over five innings as the sophomore gave up four runs (three earned) on eight hits and two walks to go with five strikeouts.
Tim Martin (Honeoye Falls, NY/Honeoye Falls Lima) was credited with the loss despite a solid 2.2 innings of work where he allowed four runs on five hits and three walks. He also struck out a pair.
Austin Rhodes (Wappingers Falls, NY/Kennedy Catholic) and
Peyton Newton (Weedsport, NY/Weedsport) combined for the final 1.1 innings and five runs allowed.
On the Doorstep: Joe Crossley (Marcy, NY/Whitesboro) currently sits at 99 career runs and hits. In this weekend's series, he will look to become the second player in program history to reach the 100 run mark and the 17th player to obtain 100 hits. Crossley also needs only 10 more runs to break the program record currently held by Dave Tedesco '88.
Keeping Up With Krug: Jack Krug's (Rotterdam Junction, NY/Canajoharie) dominant pitching performance vs Canton willed the team to their walk off victory in the ninth inning. The junior went the distance in the contest, allowing just one run through nine innings while striking out eight and allowing nine hits and walking two. His curveball was fantastic in the outing, making hitters miss throughout the game. Krug has a 3.27 ERA on the year through 11 innings pitched. He will look to build off this spectacular performance in his next appearance.
Here's a Story: Jason Story (Hilton, NY/Hilton) hit safely in six of Utica's seven games this past week with four multi-hit performances. In all, Story went 10-for-22 with two home runs, two triples and four RBI. The senior went yard once against Houghton last Monday and once in game one against St. John Fisher last Saturday. In the team's game two win over Canton on Wednesday, Story led the team with two hits with one serving as a game-tying RBI single in the bottom of the 6th inning. This season the outfielder is slashing .419/.528/.814 with seven extra-base hits including four home runs. His four home runs are already a single-season career high for the senior while he's six hits shy of setting a single-season personal best.
Gettin' Groovy with Duvy: Josh Duval (Utica, NY/Proctor) is off to a great start to his Utica career, hitting .400 with 14 hits through 35 at-bats. The junior had a great series against St. John Fisher, going four for 10 with two RBI two runs, and his first home run of the season. He made several great catches in the outfield as well to rob potential extra base hits. Duval has cemented himself as a key piece to the team and will look to continue his strong play in this weekend's upcoming conference series.
Tallarino Time: Dominick Tallarino (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) made his first appearance against St. John Fisher since joining the team several weeks ago and was excellent. The freshman pitched four scoreless innings, striking out four, while allowing just one hit and three walks. Tallarino's strong showing could earn him more innings where he will look to be a contributor out of the pen down the stretch.
About Alfred: In their first season as a program, the Alfred Saxons are currently 1-16 with an 0-6 slate in Empire 8 play. Their lone victory came in Florida against Martin Luther College. Nolan Pridmore and Cameron Brought have been the team's top offensive performers, as the lone players batting above .300. Pridmore is slashing .319/.429/.362 while Brought has registered a .314/407/.451. The team has struggled pitching with an accumulative 19.46 ERA.
Up Next: The Pioneers will return home on Wednesday, April 10 to take on SUNY Poly at 4 p.m.
