Utica, NY (3/20/12)- The Utica College softball team is set to host its home opener Wednesday as cross-town rival SUNYIT travels to Greenman Field at 3:30 p.m.

Florida Success:  UC is fresh off a trip to the Rebel Spring Games in Kissimmee, FL where the Pioneers went 7-4 overall… Utica is currently riding the highs of a five game winning streak.

Big Bats: UC has gotten hits from 12 different players… Junior Meghan Matan (Latham, NY/Shaker) leads the team with a .493 batting average… she has recorded at least one hit in all but one game so far, and has seven stolen bases… Freshman Courtney Fitzgerald (Albany, NY/Colonie Central) and junior Bridgette Plummer (Saratoga Springs, NY/Schuylerville) are second and third in hitting on the team, respectively… Fitzgerald has 12 hits, while Plummer has totaled eleven… Juniors Mallory Ingalls (Oriskany, NY/Oriskany) and Plummer are tied for first on the team with eight runs scored.

On the Mound: Each of the four UC pitchers has registered at least one win for the Pioneers this season... Senior Heather Kingsbury (Williamson, NY/Williamson) is 4-1 with 10 strikeouts and a 2.30 ERA… Classmate Haley Butler (New Hartford, NY/New Hartford) is 1-2 with a 2.93 ERA… Freshmen Briona Enny (Queensbury, NY/Queensbury) and Cassidy Thompson (Bend, OR/West Valley) have stepped up for the Pioneers… Enny is 1-1 with seven strikeouts and a 2.44 ERA, while Thompson is 1-0 with a 0.93 ERA and two saves.

Scouting SUNY IT: The Wildcats are 4-3 overall… Last year, UC won both games (15-4, 5 innings; and 15-3, 6 innings)… The Pioneers are 11-7 against SUNY IT over the course of the last seven years.

Next Time Out: UC returns to action on Saturday at it hosts Southern Vermont College for a double-header starting at 1 p.m.

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