Utica, NY (3/29/13)- The Utica College softball team is set for its second double-header in three days as it hosts Skidmore College Friday afternoon at Greenman Field… First pitch is set for 3:30 p.m.

Last Time Out: UC is fresh off two victories over Southern Vermont College in dominant fashion Wednesday afternoon… The Pioneers won the first game 13-1, before knocking off the Mountaineers 15-0 in game two… Freshman Alysa Russell (Mechanicville, NY/Mechanicville) was 4-for-5 on the day with four RBI and four runs scored… Seniors Bridgette Plummer (Saratoga Springs, NY/Schuylerville) and Dominique Carcone (Frankfort, NY/New Hartford) were 4-for-6 with four RBI…Plummer had one home run and ended the day with four runs scored, while Carone came home three times… Junior Meghan Matan (Latham, NY/Shaker) went 3-for-5 with two RBI and one run, while freshman Taylor Ellis (Willet, NY/Greene) was 2-for-3 with one home run and three RBI in game two… Sophomore hurler Briona Enny (Queensbury, NY/Queensbury) threw a two hitter, striking out a career-high 12 and allowing just one run, while freshman Abby Monroe (Watertown, NY/General Brown) struck out three and gave up just two hits for her fourth win of the season.

Ingalls Honored: Senior Mallory Ingalls (Oriskany, NY/Oriskany) was recently named both Utica College's Female Athlete of the Week and Empire 8 Player of the week… Ingalls leads the conference with five doubles, ranks second in RBI (14) and hits (17), and third in the conference with a .750 slugging percentage and two home runs… She also ranks fourth in batting average (.472). 

Strong Hitting: The Pioneers have seven players hitting over .300 on the year, three of whom have a batting average of .400 or above… Aside from Ingalls, sophomore Christy Traglia (Mohawk, NY/Mohawk) is second on the squad with a .429 average… She is also a perfect 5-for-5 on stolen bases… Senior Dominique Carcone (Frankfort, NY/New Hartford) is batting .406 and has four stolen bases… Sophomore Courtney Fitzgerald (Albany, NY/Colonie Central) has a .394 average and a team-high three home runs. 

In the Circle: Freshman Erica Colucci (Glenville, NY/Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake) leads the conference with a 1.00 ERA… She has five strikeouts and a 1-0 record while appearing in three games… Classmate Abby Monroe (Watertown, NY/General Brown) has compiled a 4-3 record with a 2.15 ERA... Her four wins lead the E8 and she is second in the conference with 22 strikeouts… Sophomore Briona Enny (Queensbury, NY/Queensbury) is 2-1 on the season with 14 strikeouts while classmate Cassidy Thompson (Bend, OR/West Valley) has a league-best two saves in relief. 

Scouting Skidmore: The Thoroughbreds are 6-10 overall and coming off a double-header victory over SUNY Cobleskill on Tuesday… Skidmore is led by Katie Sorochka and Julia Schwartz… Sorochka has a .311 batting average and eight RBI, while Schwartz is hitting .310 with four RBI… Last year UC defeated Skidmore 3-2 and 10-1… Junior Meghan Matan (Latham, NY/Shaker) went 6-for-9 on the day and totaled three RBIs and two runs scored, while senior Mallory Ingalls (Oriskany, NY/Oriskany) went 4-for-7 on the afternoon, including a two-run home run in the sixth inning of game one to help lift the Pioneers to a one run victory.

Looking Ahead: The Pioneers travel to Elmira, NY Saturday for their Empire 8 Conference opener against the Soaring Eagles… Game time is scheduled for 1 p.m.


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