Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 HOUGHTON, NY- The Utica College softball team earned a sweep in its Empire 8 Conference opener as it downed Houghton College 8-5 and 7-6 Saturday afternoon.
 
With the win, Utica improves to 6-6 overall and 2-0 in the conference.  UC returns to action Sunday as it travels to conference foe Alfred University.  The first pitch of the double-header is scheduled for 1 p.m.
 
Utica 8, Houghton 5- Game One Final
The Pioneers jumped out to a 3-0 lead and exploded for five runs in the sixth inning to pick up an 8-5 victory in their E8 opener.    
 
The entire batting order had at least one hit in the game.  Sabrina Stransky (Miller Place, NY/Miller Place) hit a three-run home run in the sixth inning to guide Utica to the win.  Stransky finished the first game 2-for-4 with four RBIs and one run scored.  Sophomore Nicole Rice (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville South) was 3-for-4 at the plate with two runs scored, while Haley Fredericks was 3-for-5 while also scoring twice.
 
Jacqueline Aronin (Naugatuck, Connecticut/Naugatuck High School), Kassidy Ogren (Albany, NY/Colonie Central), Madison Akots (Wynantskill, NY/Emma Willard School), Dominique Soto (Miller Place, NY/Miller Place), Kimberly Beattie (Levitton, NY/Division Ave), and Samantha Whitehouse (Greenwich, NY/Greenwich) also had hits for the Pioneers, while Aronin added one stolen base.
 
Junior pitcher Brittany Meka (Averill Park, NY/Averill Park) struck out a career-high 17 batters and allowed just three earned runs in seven full innings of work to pick up her third win of the season. 
 
Utica 7, Houghton 6- Game Two Final
The Pioneers picked up where they left off in game one as they plated five runs in the top of the first. 
 
Hayley Fredericks (Suffern, NY/Suffern) got things going with an RBI double to left field to score Jacqueline Aronin (Naugatuck, Connecticut/Naugatuck High School).  Nicole Rice (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville South) followed that up with a single that scored Fredericks.  Rice scored on an error by the Highlander infield, while Kimberly Beattie (Levitton, NY/Division Ave) capped off the scoring for the inning with a two-RBI single.
 
Houghton went ahead 6-5 in the fifth inning, but UC scored one run in the sixth and seventh to come away with the game two victory and earn the sweep.
 
Beattie was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and one run scored, while Aronin, Rice, and Sabrina Stransky (Miller Place, NY/Miller Place) were each 2-for-4 in game two, with Rice scoring a team-best two runs. 
 
Stransky fanned two in just over four innings of work, while Brittany Meka (Averill Park, NY/Averill Park) struck out six and gave up with one hit as she picked up the win.