Utica, NY (4/22/14)- The Utica College women's softball team (15-8, 4-4 Empire 8) is set for back-to-back mid-week double headers as it travels to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Wednesday, before retuning home to host Houghton College on Thursday. The first pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. both days.

Game Coverage: Links to live stats for both days are available on the softball schedule page at ucpioneers.com… Fans can also follow the Pioneers on Twitter for live updates on Thursday's game: @UCPioneers.

Last Timeout: The Pioneers are coming off a split against Empire 8 conference opponent Nazareth College on Monday… UC won the first game 12-0, while losing the second game 2-1…  Sophomore Abby Monroe (Watertown, NY/General Brown) threw a one-hit shutout for her tenth victory of the season in game one… In game two, Christy Traglia (Mohawk, NY/Mohawk) went 2-for-4, while Kassidy Ogren (Albany, NY/Colonie Central) was 2-for-3… Monroe struck out four and allowed just three hits in the 2-1 loss… Taylor Ellis (Willet, NY/Greene) and Ogren led UC as each went 4-for-7 on the day… Seniors Meghan Matan (Latham, NY/Shaker) and Chelsea Monroe (Watertown, NY/General Brown) each had one home run on the day as well.
 
Player National Spotlight: Senior Meghan Matan (Latham, NY/Shaker) leads the nation with .67 doubles per game… She is also 20th nationally in slugging percentage (.870), and her batting average of .507 ranks 24th in the country and first in the conference… Junior Courtney Fitzgerald (Albany, NY/Colonie Central) is 62nd in doubles per game (.42) and 83rd nationally in home runs per game (.21)…  Sophomore Alysa Russell (Mechanicville, NY/Mechanicville) is 91st in all of Division III and third in the conference with a .456 average. 
 
Team National Spotlight: As a team, UC is nationally ranked 6th in doubles per game (2.24), 24th in home runs per game (0.81), 26th in slugging percentage (.518), and 39th in batting average (.347). 
 
Scouting RPI: RPI is coming off a double-header victory over Rochester Institute of Technology at home last Saturday, winning 5-0 and 6-2… The Engineers currently sit at 16-10 and they are 6-2 in the Liberty League… They are guided by sophomore Morgan Ten Eyck who is averaging .493, with 17 RBI's and a slugging percentage of .667…  UC is 6-8 against RPI dating back to 2007… The teams have split their match up in each of the last three seasons… Last year Utica dropped the first game 7-0 before rallying in the seventh inning to top the Engineers 10-8. 
 
Scouting Houghton: The Highlanders are 1-27 on the season and they are coming off two losses to St. John Fisher College last Thursday… Houghton will take on Fredonia State on Wednesday before traveling to Utica for Thursday's match up… Houghton is led by senior Samantha Patoff, who has a .359 average… Last year Utica won 13-0 and 12-0 in the first ever meeting between the two teams. 

Looking Ahead: The Pioneers will return to Empire 8 play this weekend as they host Alfred University on Saturday and then travel to St. John Fisher on Sunday… Game time is set for 1 p.m. both days. 


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