UTICA, NY - The Utica University baseball team notched its first Empire 8 Conference win this afternoon as the team took down Empire 8 Conference newcomer SUNY Poly in game one of a doubleheader slate, 6-3.
Five different Pioneers recorded a hit in
Jacob Scalise (Utica, NY/Whitesboro),
DaShawn Hutchinson (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro),
Ty Montrose (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro),
Jacob Pian (Stony Point, NY/North Rockland), and
Mike Rockwell (Liverpool, NY/Cicero), with Montrose and
Michael Flint (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) each adding two RBIs.
Kody Czternastek (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) tallied an RBI, and
Lance Berger (Lindenhurst, NY/Saint Anthony's) demonstrated patience at the plate, drawing two walks.
Kooper Knabe (Cortland, NY/Cortland) notched his third win of the season after dealing four innings, giving up three hits and one run with four strikeouts.
Connor Ford (Swedesboro, NJ/Kingsway Regional) tallied his first save of the season after pitching three innings, allowing three hits and two runs.
SUNY Poly would be the ones to strike first in the second inning after a single down the left field line would bring a runner in to put the Wildcats on the board 1-0.
Utica would come up with a five run fourth inning, beginning with
Ty Montrose (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) driving in a two-RBI single to give the Pioneers the lead, 2-1.
Michael Flint (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) would reach base on a fielder's choice, then advance to second on an error, allowing Montrose and
Tom Ziskin (Amsterdam, NY/Amsterdam) to score, pushing the Pioneer lead to 4-1.
Mike Rockwell (Liverpool, NY/Cicero) would be the final Pioneer to cross the plate in the inning, scoring on an error by the Wildcat backstop, brining the score to 5-1 to end the inning.
Both teams would score in the sixth inning, with
Lance Berger (Lindenhurst, NY/Saint Anthony's) coming across the plate for the Pioneers on a wild pitch to bring the score of 6-2. Poly would score on an error by the Pioneer pitcher Ford in the seventh inning, but Ford would make it out without further damage, allowing the Pioneers to win 6-3.
Game two of today's doubleheader has been postponed due to inclement weather. It will be made up on Monday, March 24 at 2pm, picking up where it was left off with SUNY Poly leading 4-0 in the bottom of the second inning.