UTICA, NY – Legendary.
That is the only word that could be used to describe Pioneer pitcher
Kooper Knabe's (Cortland, NY/Cortland) performance against Elmira yesterday afternoon. The senior star managed to become the program's all-time leader in career pitching victories, snagging his fifth of the season and his 18th career win after a 19-1 thumping of Elmira.
The best part? Knabe achieved the record on the back of a no-hitter, not allowing the Soaring Eagles to grab even a single base knock in the outing. That unbelievable outing, combined with 19 runs by the offense, led to a stellar win in the team's final scheduled home game of the season.
From the very first inning, the Pioneers made it clear this one wouldn't be close.
The blue and orange erupted for seven runs in the opening frame, sending 11 batters to the plate and racking up seven hits.
Mike Rockwell (Liverpool, NY/Cicero) got things started with an RBI single before
Matthew Paolucci (Toronto, Ontario/Silverthorn Collegiate Institute) and
Lance Berger (Lindenhurst, NY/Saint Anthony's) followed with run-scoring hits.
Ryan Smith (Wappingers Falls, NY/Beacon High School) and
Luca Logan (Bayonne, NJ/St. Peters Prep) added RBIs of their own, and
Micah Fiorello (Brooktondale, NY/Ithaca) capped the inning with another run driven in as Utica raced out to a commanding 7-0 lead.
After that raucous start, the Pioneers wouldn't let up.
In the second inning, Smith delivered a two-run double to extend the lead to 9-0, continuing what would be a monster day at the plate for the Pioneer lineup. Smith finished with four hits—including three doubles—and two RBIs, consistently barreling the baseball throughout the afternoon.
While the offense stole the show, Knabe was just as dominant on the mound. The right-hander threw a complete game, allowing just one run on zero hits while striking out six and walking three. The lone Elmira run came in the fourth inning on a sacrifice fly, but Knabe was otherwise untouchable, keeping the Soaring Eagles hitless across all seven innings. He surpassed former Pioneer great Griffin Baur, with his 18th win giving him sole possession of the title "winningest pitcher in Utica history".
Utica added three more runs in the fifth inning, highlighted by RBI doubles from Rockwell and
Ty Montrose (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro), before delivering the knockout blow in the sixth.
The Pioneers exploded for seven more runs in the frame. Fiorello delivered a two-run single, Paolucci added a sacrifice fly, and Montrose drove in two more with a base hit. Berger punctuated the inning with a two-run home run, his first of the season, pushing the lead to 19-1 and putting the game firmly out of reach.
Offensively, Utica totaled 21 hits in the contest, with nearly every starter recording a hit. Montrose led the way with four hits and three RBIs, while Fiorello added three hits and two RBIs. Rockwell contributed three runs driven in, and Berger reached base four times while driving in three and scoring three runs.
The Pioneers' relentless approach at the plate, combined with dominant pitching, resulted in one of their most complete performances of the season.
With the win, the Pioneers improve to 18-14 overall and 9-8 in Empire 8 play. They will now begin a five-game road stretch to end off the regular season, beginning with a pair of contests against SUNY Poly this afternoon (including 1 that will be the conclusion of an 11-inning thriller). They will wrap up the season this weekend against Brockport.
