TROY, NY- The Utica College softball team held on for a split against host RPI in non-conference action Wednesday afternoon.  UC dropped the first game 5-4, before rebounding to earn a 12-9 victory in game two.
 
The Pioneers improve to 22-14, while RPI moves to 26-8 on the year.  It was a big split for UC as the Engineers were ranked second in the Northeast region in last week's NCAA regional rankings, while the Pioneers were ranked eighth in the region.  UC, the winner of nine of its last ten, returns to action Sunday as it travels to Nazareth College to wrap up Empire 8 Conference play.  Game time is scheduled for 1 p.m.
 
Senior Cassie Smith (Delmar, NY/Bethlehem Central) led the way as she was 4-for-6, with one home run and six RBIs on the day. 
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Utica 4, RPI 5- Game One Final
Neither team was able to score until the sixth inning, when the teams combined for seven runs.  Utica jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top half of the inning as Utica totaled four hits and converted on an error.  First, a delayed double-steal by freshman Nicole Rice (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville South) and sophomore Kimberly Beattie (Levitton, NY/Division Ave) scored one.  Then, a single to left by Cassie Smith (Delmar, NY/Bethlehem Central) drove in Rice, before the Pioneers were able to plate two more runs off of a defensive error.
 
The Engineers responded in the bottom half of the inning, however, to record five hits and plate three runs.  UC had three straight outs in the top of the seventh and a pair of back-to-back doubles by RPI evened the score.  RPI was able to take game one on a single down the right field line that scored the winning run from second.
 
Rice, Smith, and Beattie had the three Pioneer hits in the first game.  Freshman Shannon Cool (Herkimer, NY/Herkimer) struck out five batters in six innings of work, while Stephanie Caudle and Stephanie Deeb combined for four strikeouts for RPI.
 
Utica 12, RPI 9- Game Two Final
Utica jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first as Cassie Smith (Delmar, NY/Bethlehem Central) hit a three-run shot to score Nicole Rice (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville South) and Alysa Russell (Mechanicville, NY/Mechanicville).  Utica padded the lead as Russell blasted her team-leading fifth home run of the season in the top of the second.  Russell now has 23 career home runs, just two shy of the program record, currently held by Courtney Fitzgerald (Albany, NY/Colonie Central) '15.
 
RPI brought the game within one as it totaled three runs in the third inning, however the Pioneers totaled eight runs over the next three innings to all but seal the victory.  Russell and Smith were each 3-for-4 in game two, with Russell scoring a game-high four runs, and Smith totaling five RBIs.  Sophomore Sabrina Stransky (Miller Place, NY/Miller Place) was 2-for-4, while Rice, Stephanie Siriano (Sauquoit, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherrill), and Rachel Baker (Schuylerville, NY/Schuylerville) also had hits.  Senior Abby Monroe (Watertown, NY/General Brown) and sophomore Brittany Meka (Averill Park, NY/Averill Park) combined for seven strikeouts in the win.