Baseball Falls to Utica on Senior Day

In-between games of Wednesday's home doubleheader, Keuka honored John Sculli, Anthony Zaia, Pete Venuti, Kyle McGrath, Ben Przepiora and Justin Citronnelli for their years of dedication to the baseball program (photo courtesy of Ed Webber, Keuka College Sports Information Department)

GAME ONE BOXSCORE   GAME TWO BOXSCORE

Freshman Jon Borchert (Upper Arlington, OH/Upper Arlington) drove in three runs and sophomore Gavin Corbin (Endicott, NY/Union Endicott) and freshman Dylan Campbell (Bethesda, MD/Walter Johnson) each added four hits in two games, but the Keuka College baseball team closed out the 2012 season with a pair of losses to Utica College on Senior Day Wednesday afternoon.

Keuka (2-24) dropped the first game 15-7, and the second game 10-4.

Trailing 4-0 heading into the bottom of the third of the first game at Kuhl Field, Corbin launched a solo home run over the left field fence, his second of the season.

Utica (10-26) pushed across five runs in both the fifth and sixth innings to take control for good. The Storm did put four runs on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth to pull within 9-5. After freshman Thomas Drumm (Oswego, NY/Oswego) reached on an error, Corbin walked and Borchert delivered a two-run triple that plated both Drumm and Corbin.

Junior Keith Prestano (Queens, NY/Xaverian), a two-time All-North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) outfielder), then drove in Borchert on an RBI double and senior Ben Przepiora (Syracuse, NY/Solvay) plated Keuka’s fourth and final run of the inning on an RBI double.

In the seventh, Campbell had an RBI groundout and Borchert scored on a wild pitch to close out the scoring.

Senior Anthony Zaia (Phoenix, NY/John C. Birdlebough), making his final start for the Green and Gold, allowed five earned runs on 10 hits over 5 1/3 innings pitched. He struck out two while issuing only one walk.

In-between games of the doubleheader, Keuka paid tribute to six seniors for their hard work and dedication to the Green and Gold: Justin Citronnelli (Bronx, NY/Mt. St. Michael), Kyle McGrath (Webster, NY/Webster Schroeder), Przepiora, John Sculli (Canandaigua, NY/Canandaigua), Pete Venuti (Lakeland, NY/Solvay) and Zaia.

In the nightcap, Corbin, Borchert and Campbell each had two hits as the Storm out-hit the Pioneers 10-8.

Utica scored four runs in the first and added three more in the second before Keuka plated two runs in the bottom of the second. With one out, Campbell doubled and Przepiora singled to put runners at second and third. Venuti got Keuka on the board with an RBI single and with two outs, freshman Dylan Thomas (Kent, OH/Theodore Roosevelt) added an RBI single to score Przepiora.

Keuka loaded the bases with no one out in the third and came away with one run. Corbin and Borchert each singled and Prestano was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Campbell, who coaxed a walk that scored Corbin and made it a 7-3 game.

With two outs in the fourth, Keuka pushed across another run as freshman Joey Bernabei (Uniontown, OH/Lake) doubled and Corbin singled, putting runners at the corners. Borchert had an RBI single to pull the Storm within 7-4, but that was as close as Keuka would get.

Utica tacked on two runs in the fifth and one in the seventh to close out the sweep. Freshman Zach Nobles (Wayland, NY/Wayland-Cohocton) did an excellent job in relief, allowing four runs on five hits over 5 2/3 innings pitched.