UTICA, NY- The Utica College softball team clinched a spot in the Empire 8 Conference Tournament for the third time in four years as it downed visiting Elmira College, 9-7 and 7-2, in E8 action Saturday afternoon.
 
Utica improves to 21-13 on the year and 9-3 in the E8.  The Pioneers are now guaranteed either the No. 2 or No. 3 seed in the conference tournament.  UC, which was ranked No. 8 in the first NCAA Regional Rankings, released Friday, will look to carry the momentum of its eight-game winning streak into a non-conference clash against regionally ranked No. 2 RPI on Wednesday. Game time is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
 
Seniors Stephanie Siriano (Sauquoit, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherrill) and Cassie Smith (Delmar, NY/Bethlehem Central) each had six hits on the day, with Siriano blasting her first home run of the season to pace the Pioneers. 
 
Utica 9, Elmira 7 (8 Inn.)- Game One Final
The Pioneers battled back from a three-run deficit in the eighth inning and used a pair of two-out home runs by Sabrina Stransky (Miller Place, NY/Miller Place) and Nicole Rice (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville South) to earn the walk off victory in game one.
 
UC came out firing in the first as Cassie Smith (Delmar, NY/Bethlehem Central) hit a double to center field to score classmate Alysa Russell (Mechanicville, NY/Mechanicville).  Then, Stephanie Sirinao cleared the bases with a monstrous blast over the left field fence for her first homer of the year.
 
Utica maintained the lead until the seventh inning when Elmira's Julia Heggie hit a solo homer to centerfield to force extra innings.  Then, in the top of the eighth, the Soaring Eagles were able to plate three runs with the help of Heggie's second home run of the game. 
 
Down to their final three outs, the Pioneers rallied to score five runs in the final inning.  With two outs and a runner on first, freshman Nicole Rice (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville South) blasted a shot to left center for her first career home run.  Then, a pair of clutch singles by Smith and Siriano set up Stransky's heroics to earn the thrilling victory.
 
Siriano and Smith were each 4-for-5 at the plate, combining for five runs scored and three RBIs, while Russell was 2-for-5.  Stransky was 1-for-3 with a game-high four RBIs, while Dominique Soto (Miller Place, NY/Miller Place), Kassidy Ogren (Albany, NY/Colonie Central), and Abby Monroe (Watertown, NY/General Brown) also had hits.
 
Sophomore Brittany Meka (Averill Park, NY/Averill Park) had a season-high eight strikeouts to improve to  8-2 on the year.
 
Utica 7, Elmira 2- Game Two Final
The Pioneers were able to outlast Elmira as they outscored the visitors 4-0 in the last three innings to pick up their ninth Empire 8 win of the year.  Nine conference wins in a season ties the school record, which was set by the 2013 version of the Pioneers.
 
Siriano and Soto led the way as each was 2-for-3 at the plate, while Rice and Smith were each 2-for-4, with Rice driving in three runs. Stransky, Monroe, and Kimberly Beattie (Levitton, NY/Division Ave) also had hits for UC. 
 
Monroe fanned 11 batters and allowed just four hits to pick up her team-leading tenth victory of the season.  This marks the fourth time she has struck out 10 or more batters in a single game.  She also became just the fourth player in program history to record over 100 strikeouts in a season, as she now has 108 to her credit.