UTICA, NY – The Utica College softball team looks to carry its momentum into a key showdown at nationally ranked No. 12 St. John Fisher College on Saturday.  Game one of the double headed is scheduled to start at 1 p.m.

LAST TIME OUT: Utica put together two wins against non-conference foe, Union College, 2-1 and 3-2, on Wednesday... Senior Alysa Russell (Mechanicville, NY/Mechanicville) was 1-for-4 with three walks …. Senior Cassie Smith (Delmar, NY/Bethlehem Central) was 2-for-4, including two RBIs, a double, and one stolen base … Freshman Nicole Rice (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville South) continued to play well as she was 3-for-5 with one RBI, a double, and two stolen bases … Sophomore Brittany Meka (Averill Park, NY/Averill Park) pitched a complete game in game one finishing with seven strikeouts and gave up one run leading to her third win of the season … Senior Abby Monroe (Watertown, NY/General Brown) pitched 6.1 innings, collecting nine strikeouts and gave up one run as well in game two.

DYNAMIC DUO: Senior Abby Monroe (Watertown, NY/General Brown) and sophomore Brittany Meka (Averill Park, NY/Averill Park) have made up most of the pitching for the Pioneers so far this season … Monroe has pitched 46.2 innings, racking up 50 strikeouts, which is second in the Empire 8 and she is also third in conference in earned run average (1.05) … Meka has pitched 31.0 innings, with 18 strikeouts on the season and she is fourth in conference in earned run average (1.13).

FRESHMEN STEPPING UP: Freshman second baseman, Nicole Rice (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville South) currently leads the team in batting average (.327), RBIs (12), and doubles (six) … The first year player has a team-high 18 hits, which is tied for fourth in the Empire 8 and also has five stolen bases so far … Shannon Cool (Herkimer, NY/Herkimer) has spent most of her time this season in the circle … She has pitched 26.2 innings, totaling seven strikes outs and she currently leads the conference in saves (two).

VETERAN PLAY: Seniors Alysa Russell (Mechanicville, NY/Mechanicville) and Cassie Smith (Delmar, NY/Bethlehem Central) follow behind Rice in batting average … In the last six games, Russell has gone 9-for-20, with a batting average of .450 over that span… On the season, she ranks second on the team in hits (17) and leads the squad with two home runs … Smith has gone 6-for-16 in the last six games, and she is second on the team with 11 RBIs … Graduate student Stephanie Siriano (Sauquoit, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherrill) is fourth on the team in batting average (.255) and hits (13).

SCOUTING ST. JOHN FISHER: The nationally ranked No. 12 Cardinals are 12-2 on the season and they are coming off a split with the University of Rochester last Wednesday… Three players are batting over .385, led by junior Kristina Balsano, who has a .400 batting average, an on base percentage of .432 and two home runs … The Pioneers are 5-26 against St. John Fisher since 2003 … The Pioneers last beat the Cardinals 5-1 on April 27, 2014.

LOOKING AHEAD: Utica's double-header against Nazareth College that was scheduled for Sunday, April 3^rd was postponed due to weather… The Pioneers will return to the field Wednesday as they travel to Oswego State. Game one is scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m.