The Utica College softball team defeated Rutgers-Newark, 6-4, and narrowly lost, 2-1, against Framingham State at the Rebel Spring Games on Tuesday in Kissimmee, FL. The Pioneers are now 2-4 overall headed into a day off Wednesday. Junior center fielder Kim Martin led the way for Utica going 5-for-8 at the plate and scoring two runs. Freshman Elizabeth Dennis and Courtney Rainbow each tallied two hits and two RBIs on the day. Sophomore hurler Haley Butler struck out seven against Rutgers-Newark and registered her first victory of the season on the mound for UC.

The Pioneers jumped out to an early 3-1 lead in game one against Rutgers after Dennis ripped a two RBI single, scoring Martin and Jackie Gallagher. Courtney Rainbow eventually singled and scored Dennis to put the Pioneers up by two.

The Scarlet Raiders knotted the score at 3-3 in the top of the fourth before Utica took advantage of several costly errors by Rutgers in the fifth and sixth innings to put the game out of reach. The Pioneers took a one run lead, 4-3, after Rainbow converted on a sacrifice to the right side, scoring Dennis. In the sixth inning UC took advantage of two straight errors which each resulted in a run to give the Pioneers a commanding 6-3 lead headed into the top of the seventh.

Freshman Stephanie Romanow pitched a great game against Framingham, allowing just two earned runs and the defense played error-free ball, but on offense the Pioneers stranded nine runners and could only muster one run in their fourth loss of the season. Gallagher and Bridgette Plummer each registered two hits on the day. Plummer drove in Martin in the top of the fifth - as the Pioneers mounted a small comeback with two outs – but UC could not manage to figure out Framingham pitcher Andrea DiTerlizzi, and lost the one run ballgame.

The Pioneers return to action on Thursday when they square off against Trinity Christian and Hendrix at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., respectively.

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