UTICA, NY - There is no quit in this iteration of the Pioneer baseball team.
 
Down 4-0 to start Monday's matchup that was halted early this past Saturday, the Pioneers shook off the deficit, notching two, four-run innings to come back and defeat the Wildcats in dramatic fashion. Down 7-4 to start the bottom of the ninth, a Pioneer rally would be capped off by a two RBI walk-off single courtesy of shortstop Steve Sclafani (North Massapequa, NY/Farmingdale).
 
Sclafani shined in the Monday madness, putting together a three-hit, four-RBI performance that was cemented by his walk-off, 2 RBI single in the bottom of the ninth. The shortstop showcased impeccable offense out of the nine spot in the Pioneers' batting order, using two different two RBI singles to center field to produce half of the runs for the home side. Sclafani shot the team to a last-second 8-7 victory with his base knock in the ninth, keeping the team undefeated in Empire 8 play.
 
Despite all this offensive success, the veteran Sclafani didn't even finish with the team-high in hits on the day. That honor belonged to third baseman Tanner Warren (Mohawk, NY/Central Valley Academy), who acquired a quartet of base knocks to finish with an impressive four-for-five outing. The speedster Warren, who slotted in one spot ahead of Sclafani in the eight hole, got the offense going in the bottom of the second, launching a line drive out to right field and securing a double to get the offense going. The Pioneers would pick up 14 hits after the double, of which Warren produced three, also racking up two RBI.
 
Sclafani and Warren shouldered the load on the offensive end, combining for six RBI. Justin Mazovec (Lake Grove, NY/Centereach) gained the only other RBI in the game for the Pioneers, coming in clutch during the ninth-inning comeback as he got one just over the infield to cash in the first run of the final frame.
 
Mazovec finished with two hits. Both him and Pioneer newcomer Ty Montrose (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) recorded a pair of hits each to round out the multi hit-getters for the orange and blue.
 
On the mound, Jordan Henkel (Melville, NY/Walt Whitman) got the pseudo-start, going a solid four innings as he allowed just two runs and picked up two strikeouts. The Melville man kept the Wildcats at bay while the Pioneers picked up the pace on the offensive end, as he only allowed a few runs towards the end of his elongated appearance.
 
With the Wildcats beginning to run roughshod in the latter stages of the contest, it was dynamic closer Peyton Newton (Weedsport, NY/Weedsport) who came on in relief of Henkel. Newton entered into an unfortunate situation, as he found himself with the bases loaded and zero outs upon entry in the seventh inning. Absurdly, the Weedsport native proceeded to strike out the first two batters he faced, getting the third to pop out as he retired the side in shocking fashion, keeping the Wildcats within reach. Newton retired the first six batters he faced, eventually getting tagged in the top of the ninth to bring the SUNY Poly lead to 7-4 entering the final frame. The junior also picked up four strikeouts during just three innings of work. Thanks to the Pioneers' miraculous comeback, Newton achieved his first win of the season in Monday's outing.
 
Utica improved to 7-4-1, also picking up their second Empire 8 win to stand at 2-0 in conference play after their first Empire 8 series of the season. The second game on Monday (third game of the series) was postponed due to rain. A makeup date has not been announced