Utica 6, Elmira 5 (11 Inn.) - Game One Box Score

Elmira 8, Utica 7 - Game Two Box Score

Utica, NY (4-2-11) - The Utica College softball team opened up Empire 8 Conference play with a spilt against host Elmira College at Eldridge Park Saturday. The Pioneers won the first game, 6-5, in 11 innings and lost the second 8-7. Senior right fileder, Claire Gerlach (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville South), had four hits, two RBI's and one run scored for Utica.

UC is now 7-5 overall including a 1-1 record in the E8, while EC is 2-2 and holds a 1-1 record as well in conference play.

In the first game, Utica scored one run in the first inning to take an early 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the third, Elmira put together a three run inning to take the lead and followed up in the bottom of the fourth with another run making the score 4-1. After being shutdown four consecutive at bats, the Pioneers racked up four runs on five hits, in the top of the sixth to take a 5-4 lead. Mallory Ingalls (Oriskany, NY/Oriskany) blasted a two-run homer while Gerlach recorded an RBI on one of her, team-high, three hits. EC answered in the bottom half of the inning with a run to knot the game up at 5-5. The teams battled through four scoreless innings before Gerlach singled, in the top of the 11th, and drive in junior Jess Anson (Utica, NY/Proctor) for the eventual game-winner. Junior Heather Kingsbury (Williamson, NY/Williamson) shut down the Soaring Eagles in the bottom of the 11th en route to her fifth victory of the season. Kingsbury threw a complete game, allowing four earned runs while tallying 10 strikeouts.

In the second game, UC scored three runs in the first and third innings and had a 6-2 advantage. Ingalls ripped a two-run double in the first while freshman Kristie Jones (Brewerton, NY/Paul V Moore) smacked a three-run homer in the third. The Pioneers scored another run in the top of the fourth as sophomore first baseman Bridgette Plummer (Saratoga Springs, NY/Schuylerville) gorunded out , driving in Gerlach from third base. After trailing 7-2, the home team rallied with a four-run fifth inning and two-run sixth inning and fended off UC for an 8-7 victory. Junior Haley Butler (New Hartford, NY/New Hartford) pitched 4.1 innings and allowed four earned runs on nine hits. Butler walked and struck out three.

The Pioneers return to action Sunday as they host Skidmore College (3-9, 0-0 Liberty League). The afternoon double header will be held at Greenman Field and is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. UC and Skidmore played five of the same opponents at the Rebel Srping games in Kissimmee, FL over spring break.The Pioneers were 5-0 against those teams while the Thoroughbreds went winless.