UTICA, NY - The Utica College softball team will make a short trip to Clinton, NY to square off against Hamilton College on Tuesday for a non-conference doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.

LAST TIME OUT: The Pioneers fell short twice this past Saturday as they took on Stevens Institute of Technology, falling 1-0 in a very close first game and 7-1 the second game. Although seven different Pioneers recorded a hit in the first game, Stevens made a valiant effort to keep Utica off the scoreboard. In the second game of the doubleheader, Utica's Sara Stransky (Miller Place, NY/Miller Place) recorded the Pioneers only RBI of the game on a single to right field in the fourth inning. Nicole Rice (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville South) went 3-for-3 in the loss as well.

LEADING THE WAY: With a excellent performance in the second game of the doubleheader this past Saturday, junior Nicole Rice (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville South) leads the Pioneers with a .429 batting average. Rice is tied for first on the team with a total of 21 hits. With 49 at-bats this season, Rice has a .500 on-base percentage, second highest on the team.

HELPING OUT: Senior Sabrina Stransky (Miller Place, NY/Miller Place) is second on the team with a .420 batting average. Stransky leads the Empire 8 Conference with 26 RBIs and ranks third nationally with an average of 1.86 RBIs per game. She also leads the Empire 8 and ranks 11th nationally with a .920 slugging percentage.  As a top hitter on the squad, Stransky also leads the Pioneers in doubles with a total of seven so far this season and looks to increase that number on Tuesday afternoon.

SCOUTING HAMILTON: Hamilton has an overall record of 8-12 this season and is 1-2 in NESCAC Conference play. On March 30th/31st, Hamilton took 1-of-3 games from No. 14 Williams College in their only conference games so far this year. The Continentals are coming off a split series against Trinity College as they took 1-of-2 this past weekend. Caitlin Berreitter leads the team with a .439 batting average.

AGAINST HAMILTON: The Pioneers are 9-1 against Hamilton College in the past five years. Last year, UC secured the first game in a 9-1 victory, but recorded their first loss to Hamilton in that five year period in a shortened five-inning game with a final score of 10-2 in game two.

NEXT TIME OUT: The Pioneers will have home field advantage the very next day as they face the University of Rochester on Wednesday in a non-conference doubleheader. Game time is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.