ROCHESTER, NY- The Utica College softball team had its winning streak snapped at 12 games as it fell to host and nationally ranked, St. John Fisher College 3-1 and 9-1 in Empire 8 Conference action Sunday.
 
The Pioneers (18-16, 10-4 Empire 8) picked up the No. 3 seed in the Empire 8 Conference tournament and will face second-seeded Stevens Institute of Technology in the opening game Friday at 1 p.m. at St. John Fisher College.  10 conference wins in a season is a new program record, surpassing the previous record of nine, which the 2013 edition of the Pioneers accomplished on their way to a regular season conference title and an at large bid into the NCAA Tournament. 
 
Utica 1, #9 St. John Fisher 3- Game One Final
After three scoreless innings, the Cardinals broke the deadlock in the bottom of the fourth to take a 1-0 lead.  The Pioneers responded in the fifth as Samantha Whitehouse (Greenwich, NY/Greenwich) hit a leadoff single for Utica's first hit of the game.  Just two batters later, Sadie Evans (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) singled to right field to drive in Whitehouse and even the score at 1-1.
 
Fisher was able regain the lead in the sixth inning with a pair of runs and the Cardinals retired the side in the seventh to pick up their 25^th win of the year.  Whitehouse and Evans were the only two players with hits for the Pioneers.
 
Freshman Gabby Caccamo allowed just two earned runs in 5.2 innings of work and she suffered her first loss in eight games.  Fisher's All-American pitcher, Lindsey Thayer struck out 12 on the day.
 
Utica 1, St. John Fisher 9- Game Two Final
The Pioneers jumped out to an early lead as Madison Akots (Wynantskill, NY/Emma Willard School) walked with the bases loaded in the first to get a run across.  With no outs and the bases still full, the Cardinals were able to get out of the jam without allowing another run.
 
Fisher responded with one run in the first and then exploded for six runs in the second to take a commanding 7-1 lead.  The home team added two more scores in the bottom of the sixth to earn the walk off run-rule victory and finish the regular season undefeated in conference play (14-0).
 
Nicole Rice (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville South) led Utica going 3-for-4 in game two, while Jamie Miller (Boonville, NY/Adirondack) was 2-for-4 with one run scored.  Alyssa Samborin (Schenectady, NY/Mohonasen) and Sabrina Stransky (Miller Place, NY/Miller Place) both saw action in the circle, with Samborin shouldering the loss.