Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Utica 4, Nazareth 3 - Box Score

Nazareth 3, Utica 2 - Box Score

Pittsford, NY – The Utica College softball team traveled to Empire 8 Conference rival Nazareth College Saturday and split a pair of games against the Golden Flyers.  The Pioneers rallied from a 3-0 deficit, scoring four runs in the final four innings, to earn a 4-3 victory in game one.  They mustered a 2-1 fifth inning lead in game two, but the home team rallied with two runs over the course of the fifth and sixth innings to earn a one run, 3-2, win in the night cap.  

UC freshman catcher Courtney Fitzgerald (Albany, NY/Colonie Central) went 3-for-7 with four RBIs and one run scored on the day, while junior first baseman Bridgette Plummer (Saratoga Springs, NY/Schuylerville) went 3-for-6.  Senior pitcher Heather Kingsbury (Williamson, NY/Williamson) struck out three in 6.1 innings of work to earn the game one victory, while Cassidy Thompson (Bend, OR/West Valley) came on in relief and earned her fifth save of the year. 

The Pioneers record moved to 19-11 overall and 2-5 in the Empire 8, while Nazareth improved to 8-19 and 2-5 in conference play.  UC will stay in Rochester for the evening and wake up to take on host St. John Fisher College in a conference contest on Sunday morning. 

Game One – Utica 4, Nazareth 3 – Final

After falling behind 3-0 in the first three innings of play, the Pioneers responded with two runs in the top of the fourth inning to cut their deficit to one run, 3-2, in the top of the fourth.  Fitzgerald opened up the inning with a solo home run, before Dominique Carcone (Frankfort, NY/New Hartford) ripped a double to center field.  Senior Haley Bulter singled home Carcone, to account for the second Pioneer run of the inning. 

UC added one more run on three hits in the top of the sixth inning to knot the score at 3-3.  Carcone was at it again as she drove home Mallory Ingalls (Oriskany, NY/Oriskany) to tie the contest at three.  UC completed its game-winning rally in the top of the seventh when Fitzgerald singled home junior Meghan to give the Pioneers their first lead of the afternoon. 

After Kingsbury gave up a hit in the bottom of the seventh, Coach Mineo opted to bring in Thompson to close the door.  The freshman reliever did just that, as she forced a ground out and struck out Mathers to close out the contest.

Nazareth 4, Utica 3 – Game Two Final

Nazareth earned a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth after two hits and one error allowed Kailey Ritch to score after a double from Casey Mathers. UC answered right back with two runs in the top of the fifth to take its first lead of the game, 2-1. The Pioneers used four hits to score their only two runs of the contest in the inning.  Jess Anson (Utica, NY/Proctor), Meghan Matan (Latham, NY/Shaker) and Christy Traglia (Mohawk, NY/Mohawk) loaded the bases with three straight singles, before Fitzgerald singled to score Matan and Anson. 

The Golden Flyers opened up the bottom half of the fifth inning with a solo home run to tie the game right back up.  UC went 1-2-3 in the top of the sixth inning before Naz took the lead back by scoring one run on three hits to give the home team a one run lead.

Anson helped the Pioneers threaten in the top of the seventh inning by opening the rally with a leadoff double. Traglia then singled to left field and stole second base to give the Pioneers runners on second and third base, with just one out.  Unfortunately the Pioneer rally was thwarted when Anson was tagged out while attempting to score.  Mallory Ingalls (Oriskany, NY/Oriskany) popped out to dash the Pioneers hopes of a come from behind victory.

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