UC BASEBALL DROPS TWO CLOSE GAMES LATE
Utica, NY (4-19-13) – The Utica College baseball team dropped two close games Saturday afternoon to Houghton College at the Utica College Baseball Field. UC lost game one, 9-8, in the top of the seventh and then lost game two, 5-4, in the top of the eighth. Sophomores Vincent Burillo (Montgomery, NY/Valley Central ) and Thomas Dinnen (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Walter Panas ) guided UC as Burrillo went 5-for-8 with three runs scored and two RBI while Dinnen posted a 4-for-6 day with two RBI and two runs scored.
The Pioneers are now 2-16 overall while the Highlanders move their record to 11-13 on the season. Both teams return to the UC Baseball Field Saturday for another afternoon doubleheader. First-pitch of game one is scheduled for 12 p.m.
Houghton 9, Utica 8 – Game One
The visitors opened up the scoring in the top of the first inning with three runs on a homerun down the left field line by Kaiden Bowers to take an early 3-0 lead. The Pioneers quickly answered with three runs of their own to knot up the contest, 3-3.
Sophomore second baseman Benjamin Hobaica (Clinton, NY/Clinton) walked with one out and later scored on a roped double to left field by junior cleanup hitter and pitcherAlec Choleva (Coventry, CT/East Catholic). Sophomore Vincent Burillo (Montgomery, NY/Valley Central ) then came through with a two-out, two RBI single up the middle tying the game.
The Highlanders came right back with another two runs in the top of the second to regain the lead, 5-3. UC edged its way back with one run in the second and third to knot the game up, 5-5. In the second inning, sophomore catcher Thomas Dinnen (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Walter Panas ) led off with a double and later scored and then, in the third inning, senior Nick Dunbar (Granville, NY/Granville) reached on an error and eventually crossed the dish on a passed ball.
HC would regain another two run edge in the top of the fourth on two hits as it moved to a 7-5 lead. Utica answered with one run in the fifth before taking its first lead of the afternoon in the bottom of the sixth. Burillo and senior Tyler Young (Latham, NY/Hudson Valley) started off the two run rally with back-to-back hits and would later score with the help of a Houghton error and a Nick Perkins (Schenectady, NY/Schenectady) RBI single to right field. However, the Highlanders proved tough as they responded with two more runs in the top of the seventh and eventually closed out the game one victory.
Choleva tossed 6.1 innings allowing seven earned runs and five walks while fanning three. HC’s Kameron Konert got the win for the visitors with 6.0 innings of work while Seth Cornell closed out the final inning to earn the save.
Burillo had two hits, two RBI and one run while Hobaica also had two hits and one run scored to pace the Pioneers. UC leadoff Nick Perkins (Schenectady, NY/Schenectady)registered two RBI and one hit in the game one defeat.
Houghton 4, Utica 2 – Game Two
The teams each scored one run in the first and in the fourth with two full innings of quiet play in between as the game featured a 2-2 scoreboard headed into the fifth inning. In the top of the fifth, Houghton regained its third lead of the contest with two runs and led 4-2.
UC did not waste any time as it responded right back with two runs of its own to knot the contest up, 4-4, headed into the final inning of play.
Junior Anthony Johnson (Syracuse, NY/Nottingham) threw 4.2 innings striking out one while giving up four runs and walking four. Freshmen relievers Joseph Horning (Canajoharie, NY/Canajoharie) and James Corcoran (Mechanicville, NY/Mechanicville) along with Donato Traditi (Lagrangeville, NY/Arlington) combined for 1.2 innings of scoreless work before Ronald Mannella (Albion, NY/Albion) allowed the game-winning run and was tagged with the loss in the top of the eighth.
Burillo capped a career-day going 3-for-4 in game two with two runs scored while DInnen also ripped three hits to go along with two RBI and one run scored.
LATE GRAND SLAM GUIDES HAMILTON TO VICTORY IN 26TH ANNUAL JACKIE ROBINSON GAME
Photos Jeff Pexton/MHTS-PGI Photo
Press Release- UC
Hamilton 6, Utica 1 – 26th Annual Jackie Robinson Game Final
Clinton, NY (4/9/2013) – The Utica College baseball team led 1-0 early against host Hamilton College in the 26th annual Jackie Robinson Baseball Game, but the Continentals responded with six unanswered runs, including a grand slam from the bat of senior Gabe Klein in the bottom of the seventh, to earn a 6-1 victory over the Pioneers on Tuesday afternoon.
Utica still leads the Jackie Robinson Game all-time series 14-12. The storied series began back in 1987.
Chris Jeffers winds and deals for UC. Photo-Jeff Pexton-PGI Photo
Both of the team’s starting pitchers were honored as the Most Valuable Players of the game. Junior hurler Colin Henneberger pitched 6.1 innings and allowed just one run on three hits to earn MVP honors for the Continentals, while UC’s Chris Jeffers (Albany, NY/Bishop Maginn) pitched 6.2 innings, allowed four earned runs and struck out five on his way to the MVP distinction for the Pioneers.
The Pioneers (1-10) will now play five home games in five days beginning with Union College on Wednesday afternoon at 4 p.m.
Empire 8 Conference foe Ithaca College will come to town on Saturday and Sunday to play four games over the course of two days.
Utica junior designated hit Alec Choleva (Coventry, CT/East Catholic) went 2-for-4 on the day, while sophomore third baseman Vincent Burrillo drove in the Pioneers’ lone run of the game off a sacrifice fly, scoring classmate Benjamin Hobaica (Clinton, NY/Clinton), in the top of the first inning.
Hobaica finished the day with two stolen bases, while senior Nick Dunbar (Granville, NY/Granville) went 1-for-4 for the Pioneers.
Hamilton picks up home win in 26th Annual Jackie Robinson game.
UC held a 1-0 lead through 3.5 innings until the Continentals knotted the score at 1-1 after a sacrifice fly by sophomore Casey Collins scored Klein to tie the game in the bottom of the fourth.
Hamilton took a 2-1 lead in the next inning when sophomore Joe Jensen hit an RBI single to score junior Stephen LaRochelle.
Hamilton was able to break the game wide open in the bottom of the seventh. Jensen doubled down the left field line to put runners on second and third before the Pioneers replaced Jeffers on the mound.
The next batter was hit by a pitch and Klein followed with the grand slam to right center field to give the Continentals a comfortable 6-1 lead.
That was all the scoring that Hamilton would require as junior Tommy Moriarty, sophomore Jonathan Lane and Alex Pachella ate up the final 2.2 innings to help the Continentals improve to 8-13 overall on the year.
Alec Choleva-back to the bag!
BASEBALL DROPS EMPIRE 8 OPENER AT FISHER
Rochester, NY (4/7/13)- The Utica College baseball team dropped an Empire 8 double header to St. John Fisher College Sunday afternoon. UC fell 4-1 in the first game and 13-1 in game two.
St. John Fisher 4, Utica 1- Game One Final
The Pioneers jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, but Fisher responded with four unanswered runs and Cardinal pitcher Justin D’Amato held UC to just two more hits over the next six innings to earn the victory.
Sophomore Vincent Burrillo got things rolling early as he hit a solo shot to left, his first of the season, to give Utica a 1-0 lead. It was short lived however as junior Brad Rush doubled down the left field line to score classmate Mike Fahy and even the score at one after the first inning.
Fisher scored two more runs in the third inning and one in the fourth to take the 4-1 win and improve to 12-7 on the year.
Sophomore Ben Hobaica and senior Chris Podlucky (Grand Island, NY/Grand Island) joined Burrillo with one hit each in the first game. Junior Alec Choleva (Coventry, CT/East Catholic) had two strikeouts in the loss.
St. John Fisher 13, Utica 1- Game Two Final
The Cardinals used a seven-run fifth inning to top Utica 13-1 in game two. Sophomore Nick Perkins (Schenectady, NY/Schenectady) led the way going 4-for-4 with one run scored.
Fisher went ahead 3-0 in the bottom of the second, before Perkins scored UC’s lone run in the third inning. Perkins hit a leadoff double to left field and was eventually brought home on a wild pitch.
The home team broke open the game combining for 10 runs in the fourth and fifth innings to complete the two-game sweep.
Chris Podlucky (Grand Island, NY/Grand Island) went 1-for-2, while Rob Heath (Central Square, NY/Paul V. Moore) was 1-for-1.
The Pioneers (1-9, 0-2 Empire 8) return to action Tuesday as they travel to local rival, Hamilton College for the 26th annual Jackie Robinson game. The first pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.
UC BASEBALL PICKED FOURTH IN E-8 PRESEASON POLL
Empire 8 Baseball Preseason Poll
Utica, NY (2-8-13) – The Utica College baseball team was selected to finish fourth in the Empire 8 Preseason Poll released Thursday… After only losing four players to graduation, the Pioneers are excited about returning 16 from last season’s roster including all-conference selections senior Chris Podlucky (Grand Island, NY/Grand Island) and junior captainAlec Choleva (Coventry, CT/East Catholic) as well as leading hitter senior Nick Dunbar (Granville, NY/Granville).
E8 Conference: The reigning league champions, Ithaca College, were picked by the coaches as the league favorite with 16 points and four first place votes … St. John Fisher College was close behind with 12 points and one first place vote while Stevens Institute of Technology was voted third with 11 points … UC was chosen fourth with seven points while new addition Houghton College rounds out the poll with four points.
Big Bats Returning: Senior first baseman Nick Dunbar (Granville, NY/Granville) led the offense last season with an impressive .351 batting average, 48 hits, 37 RBI, nine doubles and four home runs … Choleva was the only Pioneer to start all 40 games and led the squad with 136 at bats, 26 runs scored while second in average (.333), hits (37), RBI (24) and two homers … Dunbar and Choleva each smacked four triples as well.
Ace the Rotation: Choleva and junior Chris Jeffers (Albany, NY/Bishop Maginn) will ace the UC rotation as both are coming off solid outings on the hill in 2012 … Choleva led the team with a 3.68 era, 58.2 innings pitched, 43 strikeouts and four complete games … Jeffers had a team-best three wins in 10 starts in 55.2 innings and 17 strikeouts … Other notables on the mound include junior Donato Traditi (Lagrangeville, NY/Arlington), sophomores James Richards (Rome, NY/Holland Patent) and Stephen Szatko (Sauquoit, NY/Sauquoit Valley).
First-Pitch: UC is set to kick off its 2013 campaign Saturday, March 9th as it heads to Wayne, NJ for a double header against William Paterson University … First-pitch is set for 12 p.m.
