Cardinals and Pioneers Sweep; Ducks Split

Cardinals and Pioneers Sweep; Ducks Split

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ST. JOHN FISHER
Thanks to a doubleheader-sweep at University of Mary Washington on Sunday, the St. John Fisher College baseball program owns an 8-1 overall record – the best start to a season in the program's 27-year history. 

Senior All-American Justin D'Amato pitched six strong inning and raised his career record to 30-4, as Fisher cruised to a 10-3 win in the opener.   In the nightcap, the Cardinals snapped a 4-4 tie in the top of the seventh inning and held on for a 5-4 win over the host Eagles.
 
Game One: Fisher 10, Mary Washington 3
Fisher never trailed in the game, jumping out to a 4-2 lead after two innings and broke the game wide open with five runs on five hits in the fifth inning.  Sophomore infielders Cody Wiktorski and Mike Roman each picked up three hits.  Joe Simmons went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI, while Cam Allen and Brad Rush also added two hits and scored twice.  Mike Fahy finished 2-for-2 with two RBI. 

Justin D'Amato was workman-like in his six innings of action.  The southpaw scattered seven hits over six innings and allowed just two earned runs, while fanning three.  Josh Amann pitched a perfect seventh.
 
Game Two: Fisher 5, Mary Washington 4
Fisher trailed 2-1 after two innings, but scored the next three runs to take a 4-2 lead in the sixth.    The Eagles rallied to tie the game in the bottom of the sixth, but Fisher's Chris Roeder singled and scored the game-winning run on an RBI-single from freshman Malcolm Kelsey in the seventh.  Shawn Corrigan recorded the final four outs and picked up the win on the mound, raising his record to 3-0.
Mike Roman, Nick Flemister and Joe Simmons both picked up two hits and scored a run.   Simmons also swiped two bags. 

Starting pitcher Mike Rynerson went 5.2 innings, allowing nine hits, three earned runs, but did not factor in the decision.


UTICA
The Utica College baseball team the opened up the season Sunday with a convincing sweep over the University of Maine – Farmington in Winter Haven, FL at the Russ Matt Tournament … The Pioneers won game one 22-6 and game two 15-1.

Utica 22, UMaine - Farmington 6 – Game One
The Pioneers opened up their 2014 campaign with a 14 run victory over the UMF Beavers, snapping a three year drought on opening day … UC scored at least one run in every inning of contest … Four players recorded multi-hit games including Alec Choleva's and Ryan Watson's three-hit performances … Watson, a junior transfer, opened up his UC career with a three-run homer in his first at bat as a Pioneer … He finished the game going 3-for-5 with six RBI, two stolen bases and one run scored … Choleva opened up his final campaign with an impressive performance at the dish going 3-for-4 with three RBI, three runs scored and two triples.

Utica was fired up and jumped out to an early four run first with Watson's three run blast to left field, scoring junior second baseman Benjamin Hobaica, who walked, and Choleva, who singled … The Pioneers gathered one more in the first with their speed on the base pads … Junior Vincent Burillo walked followed by a single by senior designated hitter Donato Traditi … The duo then pulled off a double steal before Burillo ended up crossing the dish on a passed ball.

The Beavers answered right back with six runs of their own in the top of the second off seven hits and one error to take a short lived two run lead, 6-4 … Farmington put together six singles and one double accounting for four runs and picked up another two, unearned, on a ground out and passed ball.

The Pioneers regained a slight lead, 7-6, over the next two innings after a second inning sacrifice fly and two runs on three hits in the third.

Burillo relieved starting pitcher Joshua Webb in the fourth and shut down the Beavers at the plate en route to a victory while the UC bats went on a tear scoring 15 runs over the next three innings to cap the opening game win.

Burillo allowed just four hits in four frames while striking out three and walking one … Local products sophomore Adam Pexton and junior Benjamin Hobaica combined for eight runs, five RBI, and four hits in the No. 1 and No. 2 spots … Junior catcher Thomas Dinnen and classmate Nick Perkins each added two hits a piece … Dinnen cracked his first homerun of the year while adding three RBI and two runs scored … Perkins stole two bases and scored twice.

Utica last won its season opener back in 2010 when it edged Frostburg State, 11-9, in Fayetteville, NC (3-15-10).

Utica 15, UMaine - Farmington 1 – Game Two
The Pioneers got right back to business in the second game as they smacked the Beavers 15-1 in five innings … UC managed 15 runs on 13 hits and 11 RBI ... Including last game, UC scored at least one run in their first 11 consecutive innings to open up the season … UC scored in every frame in game one and the first four in game two.

Starting pitcher Alec Choleva led Utica in game two as he got his victory on the mound and smacked his first homer at the dish … He tossed a five inning, five hit, one run gem while striking out five and walking just one.

The top of the Pioneer order paved the way in game two … Pexton and Hobaica racked up a combined seven runs on five hits and two RBI in the 1-2 slot while Choleva helped himself in the three-hole with three runs scored and two knock ins.

Burillo and Dinnen totaled six RBI on just one hit each batting in the five and six slots … Perkins added two more knocks to finish with four hits on the day.

UC jumped out to a quick eight run lead over the first two frames … In the first, Hobaica walk and later scored on Choleva's blast to left field and then in the second Utica used six hits and the help of a Beaver error to collect four more scores.

Maine would grab one run in the second on one hit and the aid of a UC mishap however would not be enough to compete with the newly revived Utica College Pioneers as UC went on to score seven more times to cap the season-opening sweep.


STEVENS
The Stevens Institute of Technology baseball team splits its CUNYAC doubleheader with the City College of New York on Sunday at Dobbelaar Field. Stevens won Game One, 8-4, but fell in Game Two, 7-5. The Ducks are now 7-2 overall and 5-1 in the CUNYAC.

Game One: Stevens 8, CCNY 4
Sophomore Jayson Yano made a terrific leaping play to snag a line drive off the bat of Bobby McDowell to begin the double dip, but CCNY crossed one run over the plate in the first inning after a walk and single put two runners on. After a failed pick-off throw went into centerfield allowed one runner to go to third, a stolen base gave the Beavers runners on second and third with one out. CCNY then singled up the middle for the opening run in Game One.

The Ducks answered in the bottom half of the first with three runs on just one hit. Yano started the rally with a one-out single to center field and the next four batters walked to push two runs across the dish. Sophomore Tyler Bush then hit a sacrifice fly to center that scored freshman Zeph Walters for the final run of the frame. CCNY centerfielder, McDowell, made a diving catch on the sacrifice fly that prevented the Ducks from scoring at least one more run.

Stevens scored three more times in the second on an RBI groundout from Yano and two-run homerun from Walters. Freshman Michael Mule' came home on the Yano groundout  after he made his way to third base on a triple to right-center and senior Dan Allen was driven in after he walked on the Walters blast to right field.

CCNY struck again in the fourth on a solo homer from Mike Smith on the first pitch of the inning to give the Beavers their second run. The Beavers recorded runs in the sixth and seventh on RBI singles to account for their offense.

Sophomore Marc Calleo put the Ducks up by six runs on a two-RBI single in the bottom of the fifth that brought home Bush and freshman Garrett Wells. Bush and Wells both made their way on base on walks and then moved up on a balk.

The Ducks walked 10 times as a team in the opener.

Sophomore Robert Robbins picked up the Game One victory in five innings of work. Robbins struck out four batters and scattered four hits with two walks and a pair of earned runs.

Freshman Brett Viola entered in the sixth for an inning of relief and struck out two hitters and allowed one run. Junior Gary Boardman tossed the final inning and gave up an unearned one with a strikeout.

Game Two: CCNY 7, Stevens 5
Stevens struggled offensively in Game Two, as it only recorded three hits as a team but walked seven times.

CCNY strung together three base hits and benefitted from two wild pitches in the second inning to take an early 1-0 lead in the game.

The Beavers went up, 3-0, in the third on a questionable two-run round-tripper from Gabriel Pena to dead center field after Smith drew a walk with two outs. There was a debate after the call on the field was made whether or not the ball actually cleared the center field fence or not.

Stevens put together a two-run, two-out rally in its half of the third thanks to a pair of infield errors by the Beavers. Mule' and Yano drew walks and came around to score on back-to-back errors off the bats of junior Brian Hennelly and sophomore Nicholas Sieber.

CCNY got one run back in the fourth on an RBI double from Yoribaldis Olivo that drove in Jacob Sonenshine.

In the bottom of the fourth, Mule' reached on an error, stole second and moved up to third on a wild pitch. Senior Curt Lowenstein was awarded first on a hit by pitch and stole second to set up two runners in scoring position for Yano. Yano stroked a base hit to center that brought Mule' in to score, but Lowenstein was gunned down at the plate for the game-tying run.

The Beavers responded with a three-spot in the top of the fifth to build their lead to 7-3 on three hits, but Stevens came right back with two runs in the bottom half to bring the contest to a 7-5 difference. The Ducks had a chance to deadlock the ballgame with the bases loaded but flew out to end the inning. Stevens walked four times in the fifth and scored its runs on an error and fielder's choice.

The Ducks were retired in order in the sixth and grounded into three fielder's choices in the seventh to end the game.

Walters took the loss in 3.2 innings pitched. He surrendered four runs on five hits with two walks and fanned six.

Junior Matt Buccheri tossed 1.1 innings and allowed three runs on three hits, while sophomore Greg Jakusik fired two perfect innings and punched out two batters.