HACKETTSTOWN, NJ - The Utica baseball team headed down to Hackettstown on Saturday afternoon to kick their season off with some early March action as they met Centenary in a season-opening doubleheader. In game one, the Pioneers secured a 7-0 shutout victory, with Kooper Knabe (Cortland, NY/Cortland) and Connor Ford (Swedesboro, NJ/Kingsway Regional) combining for a seven-inning stumping of the Cyclones offense. The squad fell in a tight second tilt, being defeated by a 6-4 final but keeping their offensive momentum as they managed to put up 11 total runs over their season-opening two game slate.
 
Knabe twirled a gem on the mound in his first start since returning from injury the previous season. The junior jumped on the Cyclones' lineup in game one, going five innings while allowing just three hits in 17 at bats. Knabe fanned two over the five-inning stretch allowing zero runs in what was a spectacular showing to begin the season.
 
Knabe gave way to his fellow junior Ford, as the New Jersey native proceeded to have an excellent outing in his own right, tossing the final two innings to complete a seven-inning shutout in the season opener. Knabe got the win, moving his record to 1-0 on the season.
 
The bats were lively all day for the Pioneers, who totaled 13 hits and 11 runs over the course of the season-opening set. Kody Czternastek (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) was at the forefront of that offensive attack, grabbing three hits in his six at bats. He also displayed some explosive power from deep in the order, recording two RBI along with two extra base hits thanks to a double and a key home run which really got the lineup going in game one.
 
Czternastek wasn't the only player to go yard in game one though, as Mike Rockwell (Liverpool, NY/Cicero) introduced himself to Division III with a three-run homer to double the Pioneer lead in the fifth.
 
Jacob Pian (Stony Point, NY/North Rockland) also accrued two base knocks in the opening game, grabbing an RBI to top it all off.
 
In game two, Justin Mazovec (Lake Grove, NY/Centereach) slotted in as the Pioneers' only batter with multiple base hits, getting two in his three at bats. The graduate student also scored twice in the second matchup thanks to some solid contact from catcher Micah Fiorello (Brooktondale, NY/Ithaca), who cashed in Mazovec twice thanks to a center field single and a groundout to second base.
 
Michael Flint (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) ended up as the only other Pioneer with multiple hits in the series, with the local product showing some good offensive flashes in his first pair of collegiate starts.
 
Jacob Scalise (Utica, NY/Whitesboro) and Eric Schulteisz (North Babylon, NY/North Babylon) each added a hit in game one and game two respectively to cap off the outstanding offensive outing in the season-opening series for the team.
 
The Pioneers will now gear up for a gauntlet of games down in Florida during next week's spring break trip.