ALFRED, NY -- The Utica College softball team lost a pair of Empire 8 Conference games at Alfred University Sunday afternoon. The Pioneers dropped game one 14-6 in six innings and the Saxons also earned a 6-2 victory in game two. 

Freshman Madison Akots (Wynantskill, NY/Emma Willard School) finished the day going 2-for-4 with one RBI, while sophomore Nicole Rice (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville South) went 2-for-6 with three RBIs and one run scored.  Freshman Jacqueline Aronin (Naugatuck, Connecticut/Naugatuck High School) capped her day with three hits, three runs scored and one RBI.  Dominique Soto (Miller Place, NY/Miller Place) hit a solo home run in game two, while senior Kassidy Ogren (Albany, NY/Colonie Central) posted one double and one run scored on the afternoon.

Utica's record moved to 6-8 overall and 2-2 in Empire 8 play. The Pioneers return to action on Tuesday when they host Hamilton College in their Stop DWI Game at Greenman Field at 4:30 p.m.

Alfred 14, Utica 6 – Game One
The Pioneers jumped out to a 4-2 lead in game one.  Aronin scored in the first inning put the Pioneers on top 1-0.  Alfred came back with one run in each of the first two innings to take a 2-1 advantage before the Pioneers tacked on three runs in the top of the third inning to earn the two run lead.

Rice and Sabrina Stransky (Miller Place, NY/Miller Place) each drove in third inning runs to give the Pioneers the 4-2 lead.  UC then took a 5-2 lead in the top of the fourth after another RBI single from Rice. 

The host Saxons rallied with seven runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a lead they would not relinquish.  Alfred added five more runs in the fifth and six innings to earn the eight run sixth inning run-rule victory. 

Utica's Brittany Meka (Averill Park, NY/Averill Park) started game one for the Pioneers and pitched two innings before being relieved by Sabrina Stransky (Miller Place, NY/Miller Place).  Stransky pitched three innings before giving way to Alyssa Samborin (Schenectady, New York/Mohonasen) in the sixth inning. 

Aronin went 2-for-4 in game one with three runs scored, while Rice finished the opening game with two hits, three RBIs and one run scored.  Jamie Miller (Boonville, New York/Adirondack) also went 1-for-2 with one run scored for the Pioneers.

Alfred 6, Utica 2 – Game Two
The Pioneers fell into an early 5-1 hole in the first two innings of game two.  Alfred cleared the bases in the bottom of the first inning with a bases loaded double and took a 3-0 lead.

Domonique Soto hit her first home run of the season in the second inning to get one run back for the Pioneers, but the Saxons tacked on two more runs in the bottom half of the inning to take a four run lead, 5-1.  The Saxons added a sixth run in the third inning and led by five.

Aronin singled home Natalie Lawrence (Floral Park, NY/Floral Park) in the fifth inning to make the score 6-2, but that was as close as the Pioneers would get as the Saxons earned the four run victory and the Empire 8 Conference sweep.

Alyssa Samborin (Schenectady, New York/Mohonasen) got the game two start in the circle for Utica and pitched 1.1 innings.  Brittany Meka (Averill Park, NY/Averill Park) came on in relief and pitched the final 4.2 innings as she posted three strikeouts.