UTICA, NY- The Utica College softball team returns home Wednesday as it hosts the University of Rochester for a non-conference double-header. Game one is scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m.
LAST TIME OUT: The Pioneers are coming off a 2-2 weekend in Empire 8 Conference action… On Friday, UC swept host Stevens Institute of Technology 8-7 and 2-1, before falling to E8 frontrunner, Ithaca College 9-8 and 6-3 on Sunday…
Alysa Russell (Mechanicville, NY/Mechanicville) went 6-for-9 with four runs scored, three stolen bases and two RBIs in the wins over Stevens… Sophomore
Sabrina Stransky (Miller Place, NY/Miller Place) was 5-for-7 with a grand slam as Utica fell to Ithaca on Sunday… Senior
Cassie Smith (Delmar, NY/Bethlehem Central) had a home run against Ithaca, while
Dominique Soto (Miller Place, NY/Miller Place) hit a three-run shot against Stevens.
RUSSELL EARNS E8 HONORS: Senior
Alysa Russell (Mechanicville, NY/Mechanicville) was named the Empire 8 Conference Player of the Week, Monday, for the second time in the last three weeks… Russell was 9-for-17 in four games over the weekend… On Friday, she went 6-for-9 with four runs scored, two RBIs, and three stolen bases to help Utica to a pair of wins over Stevens... She followed that up with three hits as the Pioneers fell to Ithaca on Sunday… On the year, she leads the conference with 13 steals, more than twice as many as the next person, and she is second on the team with a .325 batting average… Russell is currently third on the College's career stolen bases list with 39… She needs just two more to move into a tie for second place all-time.
IN THE CIRCLE: Senior
Abby Monroe (Watertown, NY/General Brown) and sophomore
Brittany Meka (Averill Park, NY/Averill Park) have gotten most of the starts this season… Monroe ranks second in the conference in ERA (1.30), strikeouts (73), and opponent batting average (.194)… Meka is eighth in the conference with a 2.84 ERA and she has 25 strikeouts to her credit… Sophomore
Sabrina Stransky (Miller Place, NY/Miller Place) has a 2.86 ERA in seven appearances, while freshman
Shannon Cool (Herkimer, NY/Herkimer) has appeared in 11 games, while collecting a 3-3 record with two saves.
FRESHMAN FINDING HER FORM: First year player
Nicole Rice (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville South) has wasted little time settling into the college game... Rice currently leads the team with a .338 batting average… Her 16 RBIs are tied for third in the conference and her eight doubles on the year rank second in the E8… Rice has recorded at least one hit in 10 of her last 11 games, and she has eight hits in the last five outings.
VETERAN PLAY: Seniors
Cassie Smith (Delmar, NY/Bethlehem Central),
Abby Monroe (Watertown, NY/General Brown), and
Stephanie Siriano (Sauquoit, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherrill) rank in the top five on the team in batting average… Smith has a .288 batting average and she ranks second on the team with 14 RBIs… Monroe has stepped up when called upon as she holds a .280 average in 25 at bats, while Siriano is batting .231 with nine runs scored and six stolen bases.
SCOUTING U OF R: The Yellow Jackets are 9-15 on the season and they are coming off back-to-back splits against Liberty League opponents Union and RPI… U of R defeated Union 7-2, before falling 7-6 in the second game… It also cruised to an 8-0 victory in game one against RPI, with the Engineers rallying to take game two 6-5… Rochester has six players batting over .300, led by Kayla Kibling, who has a .378 average… Freshman Harleigh Kaczegowicz has a .337 average in 86 at bats for the Yellow Jackets… Utica is 1-3 against Rochester in the last three seasons, with three games going to extra innings… Last year, the Pioneers fell 4-0 in the first game, and gave up a walk off grand slam in the second game for a 9-5 final.
LOOKING AHEAD: Utica remains at home this weekend as it hosts conference opponents Alfred University (Friday) and Houghton College (Saturday)… Game one is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. on Friday, with Saturday's first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.
