Utica, NY - The Utica College softball team brought the brooms to Greenman field on Wednesday evening as the team completed a two-game sweep over SUNY Canton. UC took game one in five innings by a score of 8-0 while prevailing 2-0 in a much tighter second game.
 
 
Game 1
 
The scoring began in the 2nd inning of game one as the Pioneers exploded for six runs while the first two came on a bases loaded walk worked by Megan O'Keefe (Albany, NY/Bethlehem Central) and a fielder's choice. Bailey McElwain (Baldwinsville, NY/Charles W. Baker High School) drove in the third run of the inning on a single to left. She finished as the team's leading hitter going 3-for-4 at the dish with a pair of RBIs.
 
 
After an error brought in another run, Sara Stransky (Miller Place, NY/Miller Place) singled home a run to open the game up to a 5-0 UC lead. Stransky finished as the only other batter with multiple hits in game one, going 2-for-3 with an RBI. McElwain drove home another run in the 3rd inning on a single to right center which gave Utica a convincing 7-0 lead.
 
 
The Pioneers ended the game in the 5th inning on an Emily Joss (South Glens Falls, NY/South Glens Falls) RBI single to center, putting the eight-run rule after five innings into effect.
 
 
Even with all the scoring, Jordyn Conte (Newport, NY/West Canada Valley High School) had full control of the game. She tossed five shutout innings allowing just three hits while striking out four and walking none. With the win she improves 2-3 on the season.
 
 
Game 2
 
The second game was a pitchers' duel as UC's Makenna Reinold (Holland Patent, NY/Holland Patent High School) and Canton's Kayla Chavarri battled out three scoreless innings each to start the game.
 
 
The Pioneers broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the 4th inning on a Brooke Catlin (Brewerton, NY/Central Square High School) sacrifice fly to left which brought home Stransky. Stansky finished game two 2-for-3 and was the only Pioneer with multiple hits in the game. The next at bat, O'Keefe singled to left field and scored Julia Phelps (Waterford, NY/Shenendehowa High School) from third giving the Pioneers a 2-0 lead.
 
 
Those would be all the runs needed for Reinold as she pitched six shutout innings allowing just two hits while striking out seven and walking two on her way to picking up her first win of the season. Conte came in for her first save of the season after securing the win in game one. She allowed one hit in the 7th inning, a single, while picking up a strikeout as well.
 
 
Up next the Pioneers (5-3, 0-2 Empire 8) will travel to Alfred, NY to take on Alfred University in a doubleheader on Saturday. Game one is set to begin at 1 p.m.