HOBOKEN, N.J. (March 28, 2015) – The Stevens Institute of Technology baseball team fell to Utica 4-2 in its Empire 8 conference opener on Saturday.
Utica (7-2, 1-0 E8) jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in their first at bat of the afternoon. Junior Adam Pexton reached on a hit by pitch and advanced to third on a pair of wild pitches. After a walk and a ground out put runners on second, senior Thomas Dinnen and junior Brandon Thomas each delivered RBI hits to put the visitors on top. The Ducks (7-7, 0-1 E8) answered back in the bottom of the inning when junior
Jonathan Toro reached base on a hit by pitch. After sophomore
Michael Mule' walked, the pair executed a successful double steal and came around to score on a double by senior
Brian Hennelly that the centerfielder lost track of.
Junior
Robert Robbins and senior Stephen Szatko both settled down after a rocky first inning as they matched zeros on the scoreboard over the next three innings. The Pioneers regained the lead in the top of the fifth when Thomas delivered another RBI hit. Utica tacked on an insurance run in the top half of the sixth with an RBI walk.
The Ducks threatened to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth after a single by freshman
Alex Detweiler and a fielder's choice put a runner on first and two outs. Sophomore
Garrett Wells drilled a pinch-hit double to deep left field to put the tying run 180-feet away, but Szatko got a tapper back to the mound to end the game.
Detweiler made his first start in the field and went 2-for-4 while sophomore
Michael Mule' reached base twice. Junior
Zeph Walters allowed no hits in four shutout innings of relief while punching out eight. Toro, Mule' and junior
Jayson Yano all swiped bases for the Ducks
Thomas had two of the Pioneer hits while Szatko tossed a complete game with six strikeouts and two walks.
The two teams are back in action tomorrow in a doubleheader with the first game (seven innings) to be begin at 11 a.m.
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