Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
Utica, NY (4/28/14)- Sophomore Erica Colucci (Glenville, NY/Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake) threw her first career no-hitter to lift Utica College to a 2-0 win in the second game of an Empire 8 Conference double-header against Alfred University Monday.  With the win, the Pioneers clinch the No. 4 seed in the Empire 8 Conference Tournament this weekend.  UC dropped the first game of the day to the Saxons 2-0 before rebounding in the second outing.
 
The Pioneers, who advance to the Empire 8 Tournament for the second year in a row, will now take on host and top-seeded Ithaca College in the first game of the tournament on Friday at 12 p.m. 
 
Alfred 2, Utica 0- Game One Final
After three scoreless innings, Alfred was able to break the deadlock in the top of the fourth after a sacrifice fly from Nora Passuite to score Nicole Maher.  The Saxons then added an insurance run in the sixth off a Utica error to take a 2-0 lead.  The Pioneers threatened, but were unable to plate a run as they dropped the 2-0 decision. 
 
Alison Wickwire gave up just four hits in seven innings for her 12th win of the year, while Abby Monroe (Watertown, NY/General Brown) struck out six in the loss.  Meghan Matan (Latham, NY/Shaker), Cassie Smith (Delmar, NY/Bethlehem Central), Kassidy Ogren (Albany, NY/Colonie Central), and Taylor Ellis (Willet, NY/Greene) all recorded hits for Utica. 
 
Utica 2, Alfred 0- Game Two Final
The Saxons entered the game leading the nation with a .396 team batting average; however Colucci was lights out in the circle as she had four strikeouts and allowed just three base runners to lead the Pioneers.  The only runs of the game were scored in the first inning as junior Courtney Fitzgerald (Albany, NY/Colonie Central) crushed a 2-RBI double to right field, scoring Chelsea Monroe (Watertown, NY/General Brown) and Christy Traglia (Mohawk, NY/Mohawk).  That was all Colucci would need as she hardly let anything out of the infield. 
 
Fitzgerald and Kassidy Ogren (Albany, NY/Colonie Central) were each 2-for-3, while Traglia was 2-for-4.  Chelsea Monroe (Watertown, NY/General Brown), Abby Monroe (Watertown, NY/General Brown), and Taylor Ellis (Willet, NY/Greene) also had hits for the Pioneers, and Traglia picked up her seventh stolen base of the year in the win.  Katelyn Jakobsen shouldered the loss, her first of the season, for Alfred after giving up nine hits in five innings of work. 
 
Utica moves to 21-10 on the year and 6-6 in the conference after splitting each Empire 8 series this season.  The Saxons (24-8, 7-5 Empire 8) meanwhile take the No. 3 seed and will face No. 2 Stevens Institute of Technology at 10 a.m. on Friday. 
 


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