Baseball | 3/21/2014 8:30:00 PM

Box Score

WINTER HAVEN, FL – The RIT baseball team (1-0) opened the 2014 season by defeating former Empire 8 rival Utica College (4-4) by a score of 11-2 on a sunny, warm Friday afternoon at Chain of Lakes Park. Senior third baseman Walt Roman (Spencerport, NY/Spencerport) led the way by going 2-for-3 with a three-run home run and career-best five runs batted in.

The Tigers made two big defensive plays early that changed the momentum of the contest. In the second inning with the score tied at 1-1, RIT starting pitcher Ethan Humbert (Rose, NY/North Rose-Wolcott) picked off Christopher Wotten at first base, with Thomas Dinnen breaking for home. The throw went to Taylor Hogan (Rochester, NY/Brighton), who was able to fire home and get Dineen, thanks to a strong tag by Matt Holtby (Honeoye Falls, NY/Honeoye Falls-Lima). The next inning, Adam Pexton was gunned out at home by Hogan on a double steal.

RIT broke the game open with four third inning runs, taking advantage of three Utica errors to take a 5-1 lead. Hogan had the big hit in the frame, a bases loaded single that plated a pair of runs.

In the fourth inning, Roman crushed a 2-2 fastball over the left field fence, plating Skip Flanagan (Framingham, MA/Bishop Feehan) and Zach Zabel (Clarence, NY/Clarence), making the score 8-2.

On the mound, Humbert got the start, going 4 2/3 innings, allowing six hits and two runs, while walking four batters and striking out four. Tyler Leichtenberger (Warren, PA/Warren Area) got a big strikeout in the top of the fifth to pick up the win. Conor Herlihy (Geneseo, NY/Geneseo) pitched three scoreless innings of relief, allowing just two hits, while striking out three batters. Rich Sammon (Ridgefield, CT/Ridgefield) fired a scoreless ninth inning to close out the contest.

Zabel scored three runs and stole a base out of the leadoff spot, while CJ Bolorin (Rochester, NY/Rush-Henrietta) was 2-for-3 with a stolen base of his own, while Skip Flanagan (Framingham, MA/Bishop Feehan) scored a pair of runs. RIT took advantage of four Utica errors to score five unearned runs.

Freshmen Will Gorman (Nassau, NY/Columbia), Jim Schmidt (Baldwinsville, NY/C.W. Baker), Phil Sammon (Ridgefield, CT/Ridgefield), and Mike Myers (Hamilin, NY/Brockport) made their collegiate debuts. Gorman ripped a run-scoring triple to left center field on the first pitch he saw in the eighth inning. Phil Sammon (Ridgefield, CT/Ridgefield) had a run-scoring double, while Schmidt scored a run.

Utica catcher Thomas Dinnen went 4-for-4 with a solo home run, walk, double, and two singles. He drove in a pair of runs and scored once. Chris Jeffers took the loss, allowing seven runs, three earned over 3 2/3 innings.

The Tigers are now 54-14-1 all-time against the Pioneers. RIT and Utica were former rivals in the Empire 8 conference.

This is the latest RIT has started a season due to the university's change to semesters from the quarter system. The Tigers would traditionally go on Spring break during the last full week on February, or first week of March.

The Tigers are right back in action on Saturday, with two nine-inning games. RIT plays U-Mass Dartmouth at 12:30 p.m. and Kalamazoo at 4 p.m.