Utica College rallied with three unearned runs in the bottom of the 10th inning and defeated Hamilton College 11-10 in the 23rd playing of the Jackie Robinson Game at Utica College Field on April 7.
The Jackie Robinson game pits the two local rivals against each other in honor of Robinson, who was the first African-American Major League Baseball player of the modern era. The series dates back to 1987 and the 2010 game marks the fourth one-run game in the history of the rivalry.
Alex Augustyn ‘10 hit a double and a single and finished with two RBI. Kevin Prindle ‘13 also had two hits, two RBI and scored two runs. Justin Atwood ‘11 finished with three hits and scored two runs. Sam Fuentes ‘13 and Wes Mayberry '11 singled and drove in two runs.
Alex Augustyn ‘10 hit a double and a single and finished with two RBI. Kevin Prindle ‘13 also had two hits, two RBI and scored two runs. Justin Atwood ‘11 finished with three hits and scored two runs. Sam Fuentes ‘13 and Wes Mayberry '11 singled and drove in two runs.
Stephen Wright ‘12 started on the mound for the Continentals (5-13 overall). Wright struck out three and allowed six runs on six hits.
Dan Kroening ‘11 and Augustyn came on in relief. Kroening was named Hamilton’s most valuable player of the game. He pitched 3.1 innings, striking out four and allowing just one run on four hits. Augustyn allowed one run on four hits and fanned two in three innings. Atwood came in for the 10th inning and took the loss.
Dan Kroening ‘11 and Augustyn came on in relief. Kroening was named Hamilton’s most valuable player of the game. He pitched 3.1 innings, striking out four and allowing just one run on four hits. Augustyn allowed one run on four hits and fanned two in three innings. Atwood came in for the 10th inning and took the loss.
Hamilton jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first. Sam Choate ‘12 walked and then stole second. Prindle singled to center to drive in Choate for the first run. Atwood followed with a single to left, and Augustyn hit a two-run single to center.
Utica (4-10) scored one run in the bottom of the second, and rallied to take a 7-3 lead with six runs in the bottom of the third. In the top of the sixth, Prindle led off with a hit by pitch. He advanced to third on an Augustyn double, and Fuentes grounded out to short to drive in Prindle to make the score 7-4.
The Continentals scored four runs in the eighth to take an 8-7 lead. A single by Fuentes drove in Atwood with the first run. Augustyn scored the second when Pat Gennaco ‘11 reached first on a fielder’s choice. Wes Mayberry ‘11 hit a two-out single to left to drive in Joe Buicko '11 and Michael Matt '11 and give Hamilton the lead.
Utica rallied to tie the score with one run in the bottom of the eighth. Neither team scored in the ninth. The Continentals scored twice in the top of the 10th. Prindle drove in the first run with a single, and Choate stole home to put Hamilton back in front, 10-8. The Pioneers rallied with three runs on three hits in the bottom of the inning to edge Hamilton for the win.
The Continentals host Wesleyan University for a New England Small College Athletic Conference West Division weekend series. The teams play a single game on Friday, April 9, and a doubleheader on Saturday, April 10.
