ALFRED, NY- The Utica College softball team rebounded after an 8-0 loss in game one to defeat Alfred University 8-3 in game two to come away with the split in Empire 8 Conference action Saturday afternoon.  Freshman Emily Joss (South Glens Falls, NY/South Glens Falls) went 4-for-6 to lead the way for UC. 
 
Utica moves to 6-10 overall and 1-3 in the Empire 8 Conference.  The Pioneers return to action Wednesday as they host Oswego State for a non-conference doubleheader.  First pitch of game one is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
 
Utica 0, Alfred 8 (5 Inn.)- Game One Final
Alfred opened the scoring with one run in the bottom of the second and broke the game open with five runs in the third inning en route to an 8-0 run-rule victory.
 
The Pioneers mustered just four hits in game one, coming off the bats of Nicole Rice (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville South), Jacqueline Aronin (Naugatuck, CT/Naugatuck High School), Madison Judge (Albany, NY/Colonie), and Emily Joss (South Glens Falls, NY/South Glens Falls).
 
Junior Alyssa Samborin (Schenectady, NY/Mohonasen) has two strikeouts in just over four innings of work as she shouldered the loss.  Her counterpart, Jessica Wilcox, totaled six strikeouts to pick up her fifth win of the season.
 
Utica 8, Alfred 3- Game Two Final
The Saxons picked up where they left off in game two as Alfred scored two runs in the first inning to take an early lead.  Utica responded in the fourth with one run, before a six-run outburst in the sixth gave the Pioneers a 7-3 lead.  Utica capped off the scoring with a run in the seventh before shutting the door in the bottom half of the inning to seal the victory.
 
The Pioneers got on the board in the top of the fourth as Emily Joss (South Glens Falls, NY/South Glens Falls) hit a clutch two-out triple to center field that scored Brigid Johndrow (Bristol, CT/St. Paul Catholic).  Joss tied the game at 3-3 in the sixth with a two-RBI double scoring Megan O'Keefe (Albany, NY/Bethlehem Central) and Jacqueline Aronin (Naugatuck, CT/Naugatuck High School) to start the Utica rally.  Joss, Jamie Miller (Boonville, NY/Adirondack), Mikayla Blumenstock (Poland, NY/Poland), and Madison Judge (Albany, NY/Colonie) also scored to give UC the four-run lead. 
 
The Pioneers tacked on one more run in the seventh as they capitalized on an Alfred error to score Joss.
 
Joss finished game two going 3-for-4 at the plate with three RBIs and two runs scored to pace the Pioneers.  Sara Stransky (Miller Place, NY/Miller Place) was 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Aronin was 2-for-5 with one RBI.  Nicole Rice (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville South), Madison Judge (Albany, NY/Colonie), and Brigid Johndrow (Bristol, CT/St. Paul Catholic) also had hits, with Judge adding two RBIs to her credit. 
 
Freshman Jane Field (Waterford, NY/Catholic Central) struck out three batters and gave up just seven hits in the complete-game victory.