UTICA, NY - The Utica University baseball team and the SUNY Poly Wildcats met on Friday for the final time as non-conference opponents as Poly came away with an 18-13 home win. 
 
Eight different Pioneers had at least one hit in the game, none more than Andrew Salbinski's (Essex, CT/Valley Regional) three with one triple. The sophomore also had four RBIs and two runs scored. Josh Duval (Utica, NY/Proctor) had two hits including a three-run home run to help total four RBIs and two runs scored. 
 
Dominick Tallarino (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) started the game and went three-plus innings with four runs (two earned) allowed over three hits and four walks. He also struck out three. Justin Notargiacomo (Massapequa, NY/Massapequa), Frank DeTraglia (Sudbury, MA/Lincoln Sudbury Regional), Christian Cicchetti (West Babylon, NY/West Babylon) and Angelo Podagrosi (Utica, NY/Proctor) combined to throw the other five innings for Utica. Podagrosi was credited with the loss following 1.1 innings with five runs (four earned) allowed on two hits and two walks. 
 
After a clean 1st inning, Tallarino surrendered his first run of the game in the bottom of the 2nd on a bases loaded walk. However, the Pioneers picked him up with five runs in the top of the 3rd. 
 
Andrew Salbinski (Essex, CT/Valley Regional) got things going with a two-RBI single before Josh Duval (Utica, NY/Proctor) cleared the bases with a three-run home run to put Utica up 5-1. The Wildcats got one of the runs back in the bottom of the 3rd to trim the gap to 5-2. 
 
Utica pieced together another big inning in the top of the 4th. Jason Story (Hilton, NY/Hilton) and Salbinski each hit sacrifice flies while Dom Fasolo (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) and Jack Scanlon (Rochester, NY/Aquinas Institute) each had an RBI single. Poly responded with five runs of its own in the bottom of the 4th which eventually forced Tallarino out of the game for Frank DeTraglia (Sudbury, MA/Lincoln Sudbury Regional). 
 
Then in the top of the 5th, John Longeretta (Oriskany, NY/Oriskany) doubled home Story and Jacob Scalise (Utica, NY/Whitesboro) before he touched home following an RBI triple off the bat of Salbinski. Duval would bring Salbinski home on a sacrifice fly to help give the Pioneers a 13-7 lead at the midway point. 
 
Poly would go on to trim away its deficit between its half of the 5th and 6th innings. In the bottom of the 5th, Poly scored one before hanging up four runs in the bottom of the 6th to make it a 13-12 game. Then in the bottom of the 7th the Wildcats evened the score on a one-out fielder's choice. 
 
With two outs in the top of the 8th, Lance Berger (Lindenhurst, NY/Saint Anthony's) drew a two-out walk however, he was left on first base to send the game into the bottom half. The Wildcats capitalized with five runs highlighted by a one0out grand slam to lead 18-13 going into the top of the 9th. 
 
There, Scalise opened the frame reaching on a hit by pitch, but the next three Utica batters went down in order to close out the game. 
 
Utica (14-23, 8-7 Empire 8) will complete its regular season at home this weekend against Keuka College. The Pioneers need just one win out of the three-game set to clinch an Empire 8 Tournament berth. Utica and Keuka will meet for two games on Saturday starting at 1 p.m. while honoring its seniors prior to the first game.