PITTSFORD, NY— Despite pounding out 15 hits on the day, the #3 Houghton Highlanders lost the #2 Utica Pioneers in the opening round of the Empire 8 Baseball Championship tournament on Thursday afternoon, 15-8.
 
Houghton pitchers walked seven batters and hit four, and the Highlanders committed four costly errors, while the Pioneers rapped out 13 base hits. 
 
The Highlanders jumped out to an early lead, plating three runs in the first off of Pioneer starter Cooper Knabe. 
 
Utica responded in the bottom of the second.  Following two quick outs, the Pioneers plated their first two runs without a hit.  A bases-loaded single—their first of the game—then scored two more, giving the Pioneers a 4-3 lead. 
 
Houghton scored two in the third and two more in the fourth to pull ahead, 7-4, before the Pioneers plated two more runs in the bottom of the fourth on only an infield single, to pull within a run, 7-6.
 
Utica capitalized on a costly Houghton error in the bottom of the fifth, scoring three unearned runs to take a 9-7 lead. 
 
The Pioneers owned the remainder of the game, scoring six more runs in the final two frames. 
 
While Houghton picked up one final run on a Zach Parr sacrifice fly in the top of the eighth, they could not keep pace with the Pioneers' run production.
           
GAME VITALS                           
Score: #3 Houghton – 8 | #2 Utica – 15
Records: #3 Houghton: 19-21 | #2 Utica: 24-13  
Venue: Dugan Yard, St. John Fisher University | Attendance: 97
 
KEY STATS:
>> Ian Slate and Sebastian Rodriguez each went 4-for-5 for the Highlanders, both single-game career bests.
 
>> Davis Mcmillan went 2-for-2 with three walks, three RBI and a pair of stolen bases.  Chris VanCheri also picked up a pair of hits, finishing 2-for-4.
 
>> Joe Crossley and Dom Fasolo each went 3-for-5 for the Pioneers.
 
COACH'S CORNER
"We hit the ball incredibly well today.  Utica's pitchers had held our offense in check earlier this season so it was good to see us produce.
 
"Quite honestly, after we jumped on them early and kept scoring I thought we were going to pull it out.  We just gave them too many free bases, too many outs, and too many opportunities.  Utica is a good baseball team with a lot of good hitters.  You just can't do that with good teams and expect to get away with it.
 
"I'm optimistic that we'll bring a better combination tomorrow and can't wait to get back to the field." –Head Coach Brian Reitnour
 
UP NEXT:
Houghton will play the Russell Sage Gators tomorrow morning at 9:15 a.m.  The Gators fell to host St. John Fisher, 8-3, in the first game of the day.