CLINTON, NY – Freshman Patrick Blackall (Hershey, PA/Hershey) went 8-for-9 with eight runs batted in to lead the RIT baseball team (5-8) to a pair of wins over Utica College (3-11) Saturday afternoon from Loop Road Baseball/Softball Complex on the campus of Hamilton College Saturday. RIT took game one, 8-2 and earned a 12-4 victory in game two.
Blackall went 4-for-4 in game one with a home run, double and season-high four runs batted in in game one and finished 4-for-5 with four RBIs and two runs scored in game two. He is now hitting .434 with two homers and 15 RBI in 13 games.
In addition to Blackall's game one plaudits, Joey Mylott (Aurora, OH/Western Reserve Academy) hit a two-run home run, while Daniel Capra (North Salem, NY/North Salem) scored twice.
RIT got on the board first in the top of the fourth inning, as Blackall singled home Capra, who doubled earlier in the frame. Myott gave the Tigers a 3-0 lead in the fifth inning, crushing a two-run home run. Blackall made it 5-0 in the top of the seventh inning, slamming his second homer of the season, a two-run shot. RIT tacked on three runs in the seventh, as Jason Schulz (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) singled in a run, while Blackall doubled home a run and Kyle Terzini (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) lifted a sacrifice fly.
John Mikolaicyk (Oneonta, NY/Oneonta) earned his first collegiate win on the mound, allowing just two hits and two walks, while striking out six batters in 4 1/3 innings. Michael Campbell (Honeoye Falls, NY/McQuaid Jesuit) fired 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief with two strikeouts, while Matt Vitro (Carmel, NY/Carmel) pitched the seventh inning.
In game two, RIT scored at least once in each of the six innings, including multiple-run efforts in five frames. Blackall had four more hits and four more runs batted in, while Mylott was 2-for-3 with a double, two runs scored and two RBI with a walk. Luke McNamara (Harrisburg, PA/Central Dauphin) was also 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBI, as RIT slammed 13 hits in the win.
Seven different pitchers combined on the win for the Tigers. Ben Clough (Tolland, CT/Tolland) started for RIT and was followed by Jon Opalewski (Rockaway, NJ/Morris Knolls) earned the win with two scoreless innings of relief with two strikeouts. Collin Reformat (Lancaster, NY/Lancaster), Trevor Povlock (Fairport, NY/Fairport), Jack Leahey (Warwick, NY/Warwick Valley), Liam Barry (Syracuse, NY/West Genesee) and Capra finished it out for RIT.
RIT improved to 56-14-1 all-time against Utica. It was RIT's first meetings against Utica since 2014.
RIT is back in action on Tuesday, April 2 with a home doubleheader against Liberty League foe University of Rochester. First pitcher from Tiger Stadium is at 2 p.m.