The Utica College softball team was swept in their double header Sunday losing to Empire 8 rival St. John Fisher 6-3 in the first game and 10-5 in the second. The Pioneers were led by Utica College all –time hits leader Kim Martin (Prospect, NY), who went 4-for-8 with three runs on the day, and freshman Bridgette Plummer (Saratoga Springs, NY) who compiled four hits and two RBI's.
The Pioneers were the first to get on the board in game one as freshman Jackie Gallagher (Cortlandt Manor, NY) hit a single to score Martin from second. In the top of the fifth inning, UC added two insurance runs when Martin singled and senior Angel Donahue (Cortlandt Manor, NY) scored on a throwing error by the third baseman. Two at bats later Plummer reached on a fielders choice and Martin would come around to score, bringing the lead to 3-0. In the bottom half of the inning, the Pioneers surrendered the lead as the Cardinals scored three runs off two hits and two errors to tie it up at three. Fisher would take the game in the bottom of the sixth inning as Carissa Carlson led off the inning with a solo homerun and the Cardinals went on to win 6-3.
In the second half of the double header, the Cardinals were able to get off to an early four run lead in the top of the first inning. The Pioneers would answer back in the bottom half of the inning as Plummer singled to score Martin. On the next at-bat junior Claire Gerlach (Williamsville, NY) tripled to right scoring Martin. Freshman Hannah Barton would then come up and ground out to second to score Gerlach as the Pioneers pulled to within one run of Fisher.
The Cardinals delivered another powerful offensive inning in the fifth as they scored three runs off two hits and one error to extend their lead to 9-3. Utica College added two more runs in the bottom half of the fifth, but it proved to be too little to late as St. John Fisher went on to win 10-5.
The Pioneers now sit at 10-20 overall and 2-8 in conference while the Cardinals improve to 19-13 overall and 6-4 in conference good for third place in the Empire 8 standings.
Utica College will be back in action this Wednesday as they welcome the University of Rochester for a game at Greenman Field with an expected start time of 3:30 p.m.
---www.ucpioneers.com---
