UTICA, NY- The Utica pitching staff consisting of juniors Brittany Meka (Averill Park, NY/Averill Park) and Sabrina Stransky (Miller Place, NY/Miller Place) led the way as the Pioneers picked up a pair of non-conference wins Wednesday afternoon at Utica's Greenman Field.  Meka had 15 strikeouts as the Pioneers earned a 5-4 walk off victory in extra innings in game one, while Stransky had a three-run home run to help UC to a 5-1 win in game two.
 
Utica 5, Oswego 4 (10 Innings)- Game One Final
With two on and two outs, senior Kassidy Ogren (Albany, NY/Colonie Central) hit a deep ball down the right field line to score two and give the Pioneers the walk off extra-inning victory in game one.
 
UC held a 2-0 lead after the fourth inning and looked to have control of the game, but the Lakers scored a pair of runs in the sixth inning to send the game to extras. 
 
Oswego went ahead in the top of the eighth, but the Pioneers responded with a run in the bottom of the inning to keep the game tied. After a scoreless ninth inning, Oswego seemed to gain the momentum as the Lakers scored one run and had a runner on second, but the Utica defense held strong. 
 
With runners on second and third and two out, Ogren blasted a shot that bounced just feet from the foul line to send in the winning run.
 
Nicole Rice (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville South) finished game one going 3-for-4 at the plate with one run scored while Miller and Samantha Whitehouse (Greenwich, NY/Greenwich) were each 2-for-3.  Kassidy Ogren (Albany, NY/Colonie Central) had two hits, while Nicole Lawrence, Sabrina Stransky (Miller Place, NY/Miller Place), and Dominique Soto (Miller Place, NY/Miller Place) also had hits.
 
Meka was dominant in the circle as she allowed just five hits and struck out 15 in the full 10 innings of work to pick up her team-leading fifth win of the season. 
 
Utica 5, Oswego 1- Game Two Final
Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the third, the Pioneers broke the game open.  Freshman Jacqueline Aronin (Naugatuck, CT/Naugatuck High School) got things started as she tripled to centerfield.  The next batter, Samantha Whitehouse (Greenwich, NY/Greenwich), hit a double that drove in Aronin.  Two batters later, Stransky hit her second homer of the year, a three-run shot over the center field fence to give Utica the 4-1 lead. 
 
UC added another run in the fourth, before the Pioneers shut the door to pick up their eighth win of the season.
 
Nicole Rice (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville South) was once again 3-for-4 at the plate, with one RBI and one run scored, while Aronin was 2-for-3 and Whitehouse was 2-for-2.  Kassidy Ogren (Albany, NY/Colonie Central), Dominique Soto (Miller Place, NY/Miller Place), and Jamie Miller (Boonville, NY/Adirondack) also had hits.
 
Stransky finished with two strikeouts in the complete game victory.
 
The Pioneers (8-8, 2-2) return to action Saturday as they host St. John Fisher College in an Empire 8 Conference double header.  Game time is scheduled for 1 p.m.