Fisher Sweeps Utica; Ithaca Sweeps Stevens
The St. John Fisher College baseball team swept Utica College in an Empire 8 Conference matchup on Sunday afternoon at Dugan Yard. With the two wins, Fisher improves to 13-7 overall and 4-2 in the Empire 8 while the Pioneers fall to 1-9, 0-2.
The two wins also set a milestone for head coach Brandon Potter, who reached the 100-win plateau in his career with the victories.
Game One - Fisher 4, Utica 1:
Justin D’Amato pitched a complete-game three-hitter to earn his fourth win of the year. D’Amato, the College’s all-time leader in career victories and strikeouts, allowed only one run on a first inning homer and struck out 10 Pioneer batters in the seven-inning appearance.
At the dish, Mike Fahy led the Cardinals with a 3-for-3 day, driving in a run while scoring another. Brad Rush also had a multiple-hit game, going 2-for-3 with a RBI.
Game Two – Fisher 13, Utica 1:
After scoring three runs in the second and fourth innings, Fisher put the game entirely out of reach in the fifth when it exploded for seven runs to extend the lead to 13-1.
Shane Barley had himself a day at the plate, going 3-for-4 in the second game with a double and a solo home run to lead off the fifth inning. Barley finished with two runs scored while driving in another two.
Sean Osterman also went yard, his in three-run fashion, as the homer went for his only hit in the contest. Tim Coykendall and Dave VanGorder each had hits for the Cardinals.
Mike Rynerson picked up the win as he started for the Cardinals and went five innings, allowing just four hits and one run while fanning eight Utica hitters. Jordan Doroshenko, Teddy Ruff and Kieran Murphy all threw in relief, giving up just two hits and no runs while striking out five combined.
The Ithaca College baseball team extended its winning streak to 14 games after completing the weekend sweep of the visiting Stevens Ducks on Sunday afternoon. The Bombers pitching again held visiting hitters at bay allowing just three runs in each of the two games. After winning the first contest 5-3 the Bombers cruised to a 9-3 victory in the nightcap. The Bombers improved their record in Empire 8 play to a perfect 4-0 while Stevens fell to 2-6 in the conference.
Ithaca 5, Stevens 3
After allowing a run in the top of the first inning the Bombers evened the score when junior shortstop
Tim Locastro (Auburn/Auburn) walked, stole second and third, and scored on an RBI single by junior
Colby Gee (Freeville/Dryden). Ithaca extended its lead in the third when senior
Andrew Turner (Randolph, N.J./Randolph) led off the inning with a double and later scored on a single to center field off the bat of
Tim Henry (North Allenhurst, N.J./Ocean Township).
The Ducks scored two runs in the top of the sixth to take the lead, however it didn't last long as the Bombers responded with three runs in the bottom half of the same inning. Senior catcher
Corey Caswell (Broadalbin/Broadalbin-Perth) started the inning with a single up the middle. Sophomore
Matt Connolly (Kingston, Mass./Silver Lake) then singled, however two throwing errors by the Ducks brought both Caswell and Connolly in to score making the score 4-3. One batter later sophomore Vinny Gneo gave the Bombers an insurance run with a home run over the left-center field fence.
Sophomore
John Prendergast (Clifton Park/Shenendehowa) started on the mound for the Bombers, pitching a complete game while giving up eight hits and three runs to earn his fifth win of the year.
Ithaca 9, Stevens 3
The Bombers scored twice in the third inning and four times in the fourth to break a 3-3 tie and cruise to a 9-3 victory and sweep the weekend series.
Ithaca scored two times in the bottom of the first inning after
Christian Brown (East Greenbush/Columbia) and
Tim Locastro (Auburn/Auburn) led off the inning with hits and
Tim Henry(North Allenhurst, N.J./Ocean Township) later walked to load the bases. After Brown was forced out on a fielder's choice,
Corey Caswell (Broadalbin/Broadalbin-Perth) recorded two of his four RBIs in the game by doubling down the right field line to score Locastro and Henry.
The Bombers scored again an inning later when Vinny Gneo led off the inning with a double down the left-field line, and immediately scored on an RBI single by junior
Luke Stark(Schenectady/Guilderland). The Ithaca offensive attack continued in the third as
Tim Henry (North Allenhurst, N.J./Ocean Township) singled for his second hit of the game and scored on a
Colby Gee (Freeville/Dryden) double to center field. Gee later scored as Caswell recorded his second hit of the game, an RBI single to left field.
The fourth inning began as senior
Andrew Turner (Randolph, N.J./Randolph) singled and advanced to third on two wild pitches. He later scored on a sacrifice fly by Locastro. The Bombers then scored three runs with two outs.
Tim Henry (North Allenhurst, N.J./Ocean Township) singled to left field for one of his two hits in the game, and
Colby Gee (Freeville/Dryden) walked. Caswell then singled to score Henry and notch Caswell's fourth RBI of the game. Sophomore
Max Addy(Newfield/Newfield) then singled, scoring Gee and giving the Bombers an 8-3 lead. Ithaca scored one more time in the inning as Gneo recorded his third hit of the game, a double to left field that scored Caswell.
Senior
Jasper Adams (Amherst, Mass./Amherst Regional) started for the Bombers going six innings, giving up three runs, and striking out six to improve to 3-0 on the season.
Chris Anderson(Auburn, N.Y./Auburn) pitched the final inning in relief allowing no one to reach base, and striking out one.