ONEONTA, NY – Visiting Utica College scored a pair of touchdowns early in the third quarter to pull away from Hartwick and spoil Senior Day for the Hawks Saturday at Wright Stadium. The Pioneers won by a final count of 47-24. The loss ends the Hawks season with a final record of 2-8 and a 1-7 mark in the Empire 8. UC improves to 7-3 and 5-3 in league play.
              
Hartwick quarterback John Garcia (Warwick, NY/Warwick Valley) registered 233 yards passing on 14 completions. His brother Brad Garcia (Warwick, NY/Warwick Valley) caught eight of those passes for a total of 137 yards receiving. Senior Ryan Manning (Watervliet, NY/Watervliet) ran for 46 yards in his final game as a Hawk. Defensive end Andrew Bashford (East Rockaway, NY/East Rockaway) led all players with 10 tackles in his last game in a Hartwick jersey.
           
The Hawks got on the scoreboard first on a Korey Jubie (Kingston, NY/Kingston) 27-yard field goal less than three minutes into the game. The Pioneers answered two possessions later as a J'Von Evans' 35-yard punt return got the Pioneers to the Hartwick eight yard-line before Jesse Baldassare ran it in four plays later on fourth down for a 7-3 Utica lead.
           
UC scored again early in the second quarter on a Connor Butkiewicz to Jerred Beniquez 20-yard touchdown pass to move ahead 14-3 but the Hawks responded with their first touchdown of the game on their next possession. Manning ran the ball three times for 47 yards on the drive, including a 39-yard run. Quarterback Billy Pine (Hoosick Falls, NY/Hoosick Falls) ran it in from six yards out and Jubie's PAT cut the deficit to four, 14-10.
           
Just before the half, the Pioneers had a 1^st and goal from the six with under 20 seconds to go but the Hawks' defense held them to a field goal and Hartwick headed into halftime down 17-10.
           
To start the third, Butkiewicz connected with Beniquez for a 59-yard pass and Baldassare scored three plays later to make it a 14-point game. When the Hawks got the ball back, an interception set up another Baldassare score for UC three plays later and suddenly it was a 31-10 game.
           
The Hawks got seven back on the ensuing possession. John Garcia and Pine combined to drive the Hawks 70 yards on seven plays with senior Greg Bell (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) finishing it off with a three-yard run. Jubie's PAT made it 31-17 but that would be the closest the Hawks would get.
           
Utica added a field goal later in the third and scored a touchdown early in the fourth to extend its advantage to 40-17. Another Pine rushing touchdown from nine yards out and extra point got the Hawks to 24 points but the Pioneers capped the day's scoring on their next possession with Baldassare's fourth touchdown of the day.
           
Baldassare finished the day with 197 yards rushing. Butkiewicz threw for 2255 yards and two scores and Beniquez caught four balls for 90 yards for the Pioneers.
           
Carl Holmes (Cuba, NY/Cuba-Rushford) contributed four catches for 67 yards to the Hartwick offense, which gained a total of 351 yards.
           
Bashford had eight solo tackles and two assisted hits. Midnet Cantave (Spring Valley, NY/Spring Valley) added six tackles and Matthew Ali (Sayville, NY/Sayville) and A.J. Sakac (Warwick, NY/Warwick Valley) had five tackles apiece.
           
Prior to the game, seniors Bashford, Bell, Manning, Trevor Baker (Medway, MA/Medway), Kyle Dalton (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool), Joe Dawson (Port Jervis, NY/Minisink Valley), Shaun Eichner (Pine Bush, NY/Pine Bush), Greg Goetz (New Hyde Park, NY/New Hyde Park Mem.), Alex Goodhile (Jefferson, MA/Wachusett), John Horner (Queens Village, NY/Fox Lane), Kevin Merker (Enfield, CT/Enfield), Matt Michelitch (Middletown, NY/Pine Bush), Jared Morrow (Ogdensburg, NY/OFA), Zakkary Packard (Blasdell, NY/St. Francis), Brandon Smith (Livingston Manor, NY/Livingston Manor), and Justin Warren (Burlingham, NY/Pine Bush) were recognized for their contributions to the program.