Utica, NY (4/21/14)- The Utica College softball team continues Empire 8 Conference play Monday as it travels to Nazareth College for a double-header.  Game one is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m.
 
LAST TIME OUT: The Pioneers are coming off a split to Elmira College on Saturday… UC won the first game 7-4, before losing game two 7-3… Senior Meghan Matan (Latham, NY/Shaker) had an impressive outing, going 5-for-6 on the day with two runs scored, and Courtney Fitzgerald (Albany, NY/Colonie Central) was 3-for-6, including a three-run home run in game one to lead the Pioneers to victory. 
 
WHERE WE SIT: UC (14-7) is currently fifth in the conference standings with a 3-3 mark in league play… As a team, the Pioneers lead the conference with 17 home runs on the year and they sit in second with a team batting average of .346… Seven different players have hit at least one home run so far… Alysa Russell (Mechanicville, NY/Mechanicville) and Courtney Fitzgerald (Albany, NY/Colonie Central) each have four, while seniors Meghan Matan (Latham, NY/Shaker) and Chelsea Monroe (Watertown, NY/General Brown) have three and sophomore Cassie Smith (Delmar, NY/Bethlehem Central) and freshmen Kassidy Ogren (Albany, NY/Colonie Central) and Meriah Beauvais (Stockbridge, NY/Stockbridge) have one each. 
 
MATAN MOVING UP ALL-TIME LIST: With five hits on Saturday, senior Meghan Matan (Latham, NY/Shaker) moved into third place on the College's career hit list, surpassing 2013 graduate Mallory Ingalls (Oriskany, NY/Oriskany)… Matan now has 151 hits in her three years as a Pioneer… She also moved into second all-time with 30 career doubles, just seven behind Bridgette Plummer (Saratoga Springs, NY/Schuylerville) '13…  Matan also broke Plummer's single-season record of 13 doubles, as she currently has 14 doubles in 21 games this season… On the year, she leads the team and ranks fourth in the conference with a .507 batting average, and she is second in the E8 with a .870 slugging percentage.
 
HELPING OUT: Sophomore Alysa Russell (Mechanicville, NY/Mechanicville) is second on the squad with a .456 batting average…  She has a team-best 20 RBI, is a perfect 6-for-6 on stolen bases, and had a hit in 17 straight games this season… Christy Traglia (Mohawk, NY/Mohawk) is third on the team with a .409 average and four stolen bases… Courtney Fitzgerald (Albany, NY/Colonie Central) needs one home run to tie Abby Drew '09 for first all-time… She currently has 20 home runs, including four this season… Fitzgerald is also currently fourth on the College's career RBI list… Her 94 RBI is one shy of Mallory Ingalls (Oriskany, NY/Oriskany) for third all-time… She needs just 24 to tie the career record of 118, set by Drew back in 2009.
 
SCOUTING NAZARETH:  The Golden Flyers are currently 7-13 overall and 2-6 in the Empire 8… They are coming off two losses to Alfred on Saturday… Naz is led by junior Sophia Rhoades, who has a .426 batting average and 18 RBI… UC is 6-6 against Nazareth since 2008… Last year, the Pioneers won 10-1 and 6-2… Alysa Russell (Mechanicville, NY/Mechanicville) was 3-for-6 on the day, and Meghan Matan (Latham, NY/Shaker) and Chelsea Monroe (Watertown, NY/General Brown) each had one home run.
 
LOOKING AHEAD: The Pioneers travel to RPI on Wednesday for non-conference action… The first game of the double-header is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.


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