Box Score
Ithaca, NY (5/3/14)- The Utica College softball team was dealt a heartbreaking 9-8 walk-off defeat in the Empire 8 Conference semifinal, Saturday, at the hands of Alfred University.  The Pioneers end their season with a 22-12 overall record.  
 
Utica jumped out to a quick start as senior Chelsea Monroe (Watertown, NY/General Brown) ripped a solo home run on just the second pitch of the game.  An error on the shortstop and a double from Alysa Russell (Mechanicville, NY/Mechanicville) put runners on second and third with no outs before a sacrifice fly from Courtney Fitzgerald (Albany, NY/Colonie Central) gave Utica a 2-0 lead.  Senior Meghan Matan (Latham, NY/Shaker) capped off the scoring for the inning as she hit a triple to right center, which scored Russell.
 
Alfred was able to score one run in the third and each team plated one in the fourth to put the score at 4-2. 
 
Utica added another pair of runs in the fifth inning as Kassidy Ogren (Albany, NY/Colonie Central) ripped a stand up double to score Matan.  Then, three batters later, a blast down the left field line by Chelsea Monroe (Watertown, NY/General Brown) scored Ogren.  Again the Saxons battled back, as freshman Liz Thompson crushed a ball over the center field fence, scoring 2 runs. 
 
Utica added some breathing room in the top of the seventh as back-to-back hits by Abby Monroe (Watertown, NY/General Brown), Taylor Ellis (Willet, NY/Greene), and Chelsea Monroe (Watertown, NY/General Brown) plated two runs.  The Saxons once again rebounded, in the bottom of the seventh, as Alison Wickwire, the starting pitcher, hit a two-RBI double to center.  Two batters later, designated hitter Jasmine Picini hit a ball off the wall, scoring two.  Picini then scored the winning run on a wild pitch, sending the Saxons to the Empire 8 Championship. 
 
Chelsea Monroe (Watertown, NY/General Brown) was Utica's best player, going a perfect 5-for-5 at the plate with one home run, three doubles, one single, and added three RBI.  She came up just one triple short of hitting a cycle.  Classmate Meghan Matan (Latham, NY/Shaker) was 3-for-4, including a triple and had one RBI and one run scored.  Alysa Russell (Mechanicville, NY/Mechanicville) was 2-for-5, while Abby Monroe (Watertown, NY/General Brown) was 2-for-3.  Ellis, Ogren, Smith, and Fitzgerald each had one hit. 
 
The Pioneers will graduate three seniors including Chelsea Monroe (Watertown, NY/General Brown), Meghan Matan (Latham, NY/Shaker), and Allie Jennings (New York Mills, NY/New York Mills).  Matan set a new single-season program record with 17 doubles.  She finishes her career with a .397 batting average, the second-highest in school history.  Chelsea Monroe (Watertown, NY/General Brown) finishes tied for fifth in school history with 15 home runs in two seasons.  Jennings, a captain, was the only four-year member of the squad.  She saw the UC softball program reach new heights, including its first ever Empire 8 regular season title and NCAA Tournament appearance in 2013. 



                                                                                                                                        --- www.ucpioneers.com ---