Ithaca Holds On for 5-4 Win over Utica
PITTSFORD, N.Y. – The Ithaca College baseball team will play for the Empire 8 Conference Championship tomorrow afternoon at 3 p.m. after defeating Utica College, 5-4, on Friday afternoon at Dugan Yard. Ithaca, now 26-14, awaits the winner of tomorrow's elimination game between Utica and host St. John Fisher College.
In the bottom of the second, Ithaca put up five runs on six hits, all with two outs. Freshman
Adam Gallagher delivered a hard-hit two-run single past Utica's shortstop to start the rally. After a single by senior
Zach Cole, junior
Josh Savacool singled to left to bring in two more runs. The final run came home, Savacool, on a base hit by freshman
Webb Little.
The Pioneers punched back with a three run third inning to make it a 5-3 ball game. Utica's
Jake Ryan drilled a two-RBI double down the right field line to score
Adam Pexton and freshman catcher
Matthew Fitzgerald. Junior
JT Ross then added a RBI after a fielding error, scoring
Jake Ryan to make the score 5-3.
UC added its fourth and final run of the contest in the sixth inning after Fitzgerald walked with the bases loaded to make it 5-4, but that was as close as the Pioneers would get. The bases remained full, but Ithaca senior
Ryan Contegni entered in relief and got out of the jam with a strikeout.
Contegni would finish out the game for his third save of the season. He gave up just one hit over 3.1 innings pitched and struck out three.
Senior
Benji Parkes went 5.2 innings in a starting role for his eighth win of the year. Parkes allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits and three walks.
Cole was a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate with a run scored and stolen base. Savacool went 2-for-5 with two RBI and a run.
Ryan finished the day with a 1-for-5 effort and one run scored, while
JT Ross added a 1-for-4 effort and one RBI.
Vincent Burillo totaled one hit on the day and
Matthew DeMartino added one hit and one run scored. Fitzgerald filled up the stat sheet once again with one hit, one run scored, one RBI and one walk.
Utica senior pitcher
Joshua Webb pitched a complete game and has now pitched in 11 straight innings for the Pioneers after coming on in a rare relief appearance to earn the game one save against St. John Fisher on Friday. Webb held the Bombers scoreless in seven of eight innings while striking out three. Webb has held opponents scoreless in 10-of-11 innings in two tournament games. His only hiccup came in the bottom of the second inning when the Bombers pushed five runs across the plate to take an early 5-0 advantage.
Utica and Fisher play at 12 p.m. tomorrow and the title game is scheduled for 3 p.m. An "if necessary" game could be played on Sunday at a time still to be determined.