The Utica baseball team showed early promise but ultimately fell 13–4 to visiting Mount Vernon in a conference matchup on April 30, a game that opened with energy but slipped away as the innings wore on.
Utica matched Mount Vernon’s three‑run first inning with three of its own, keeping pace in a fast‑starting frame that hinted at a competitive night. The Redskins added another run in the third, but the offense stalled from there, going scoreless over the final four innings as Mount Vernon steadily pulled away. Utica finished with seven hits and four runs while Mount Vernon posted 15 hits and 13 runs.
At the plate, several Utica players delivered strong individual moments. Radek Napier led the offense with a .667 average, recording two hits and driving in a run. Aaron Hays added two hits of his own, finishing with a .500 average, while Gaige Spray matched that mark with two hits and two RBIs. Nate Hite chipped in a single, and Jaxson Riggs scored one of Utica’s four runs despite not recording a hit. The team’s seven total hits showed flashes of offensive capability, even as Mount Vernon’s pitching tightened in the later innings.
On the mound, Utica split duties between Nate Hite and Daniel Bero, who combined for seven innings of work. Hite threw the first three innings, allowing seven hits and seven runs, five of them earned, while striking out one. Bero followed with four innings, surrendering seven hits and six runs, four earned, and also recording a strikeout. Though both pitchers battled through traffic on the bases, they limited extra‑base damage—Mount Vernon recorded no doubles or triples in the pitching section of the stat sheet.
Defensively, Utica posted a .875 fielding percentage, with several players turning in clean performances. Nate Hite, Dalton Rodeniser, Braxton Fisher, Jaxson Riggs, Aaron Hays, Gaige Spray, and Amari Fordham‑Rauzi all recorded perfect fielding percentages in their chances.
Despite the loss, Utica’s early scoring, multi‑hit performances, and steady defensive contributions offer building blocks as the team looks ahead to its next matchup.
