HOUGHTON, NY - The Utica University baseball team collected a pair of conference wins against Alfred University on Sunday afternoon winning 9-3 in game one and 28-0 in game two. Joe Crossley (Marcy, NY/Whitesboro) became just the 17th player in program history to reach 100 career hits and just the second to score 100 career runs.
 
Game 1: Utica 9, Alfred 3 (7 Inn.)
 
Crossley led the way with two hits and three RBIs with Jason Story (Hilton, NY/Hilton) adding a home run and scoring twice. Jacob Scalise (Utica, NY/Whitesboro) tallied one hit with a pair of runs with Dom Fasolo (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) and Andrew Salbinski (Essex, CT/Valley Regional) also smacking one hit. Salbinski and Tanner Warren (Mohawk, NY/Central Valley Academy) each drove in one run.
 
Kody Czternastek (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) got the start on the bump going four innings on six hits allowing three runs, all earned, with three walks and one strikeout to improve his record to 2-0 this season. He was relieved by Tim Martin (Honeoye Falls, NY/Honeoye Falls Lima) who closed out the remaining three innings in stellar fashion allowing just two hits and punching out seven.
 
Story got the party started in the top of the 1st homering to right center to give Utica an early 1-0 lead. Crossley followed this up with a single to left and stole second base yet was stranded there. 
 
The Pioneers offense kept rolling with a massive 2nd inning plating five runs fueled by three stolen bases to secure a firm 6-0 lead after two. Scalise and Salbinski got the rally started with back-to-back walks and a Warren fielder's choice plated Fasolo to make it 2-0. Warren then stole second to get into scoring position and came around to secure with Crossley delivering a two-run single to push the lead to 6-0.
 
Alfred tacked on one run in the bottom of the 3rd to cut the lead to 6-1. 
 
Yet a Crossley sacrifice fly in the 4th pushed the advantage to 7-1. The Saxons used three hits in the bottom of the inning to cut the lead to 7-3 after four innings of play.
 
Salbinski homered in the 5th to make it an 8-1 game with Utica adding an insurance run in the 7th with Scalise scoring on a passed ball as the Pioneers won game one 9-3.
 
Game 2: Utica 28, Alfred 0 (7 Inn.)
 
Utica's offense continued to fire on all cylinders, plating a whopping 28 runs with 16 hits in game two. Jack Scanlon (Rochester, NY/Aquinas Institute) had a fantastic game going 4-for-5 with a trio of runs and two RBIs while Dom Fasolo (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) had a pair of hits and team-high five runs. Jake Ogata (Jamesville, NY/Jamesville-DeWitt), John Longeretta (Oriskany, NY/Oriskany), and Micah Fiorello (Brooktondale, NY/Ithaca) each tallied two hits and a trio of RBIs. Josh Duval (Utica, NY/Proctor) had two hits and two RBIs, with Justin Mazovec (Lake Grove, NY/Centereach) driving in a pair of RBIs. Jason Story (Hilton, NY/Hilton), Joe Crossley (Marcy, NY/Whitesboro) each drove in one.
Austin Rhodes (Wappingers Falls, NY/Kennedy Catholic) threw a gem on the mound pitching a complete game (seven innings) on just one hit, two walks, and punching out nine. 
 
Story struck 1st inning magic again plating Duval on a groundout to give Utica a 1-0 lead. The Pioneers tacked on another run in the 2nd as Fiorello grounded out to plate Fasolo and push the lead to 2-0.
 
Utica had a huge 3rd inning, plating nine runs on three hits while capitalizing on three errors to push the lead to 11-0. The Pioneers were patient, drawing three walks in the inning and used multiple steals to get runners into scoring position. Duval and Scanlon each singled to plate a total of three runs with an error pushing the lead to 11-0 after three innings of play.
 
In the 4th Fiorello singled to center to score Fasolo to push the lead to 12-0. 
 
The Pioneers had another terrific inning in the 6th plating 13 runs on six hits and capitalized on six errors to push the lead to 25-0. Ogata singled up the middle in the 7th to plate Jacob Pian (Stony Point, NY/North Rockland) and Jonathan Rivera (West Palm Beach, FL/Palm Beach Central) to push the lead to 28-0 which would be the game's final score and secure the Sunday sweep for the Pioneers.
 
Utica (7-14, 2-5 Empire 8) will face Alfred University on Monday, April 8 at 11 a.m. in the series finale.