UTICA, NY- The Utica University softball team salvaged a split Friday afternoon as it dropped the first game against Russell Sage College 2-1 before rebounding in game two to come away with a 12-7 win.
Utica 2, Sage 1- Game One Final
The game was scoreless going into the fifth inning with just two hits combined between the two teams. Sage broke the deadlock thanks to a two-run home run by Arianna Papas in the top of the fifth to give the visitors the lead.
Utica responded in the bottom half of the inning as leadoff batter
Abigail Sacks (Colonie, NY/Colonie) doubled to left field to break up Sage's no-hitter. Freshman
Alyssa Barbato (Rhinebeck, NY/Rhinebeck ) drove in Sacks with an RBI single to cut the deficit in half. Sage managed to get out of the inning though and did not allow a hit in either of the next two to come away with the win.
Freshman
Kylie Murray (Eastchester, NY/Eastchester ) finished with eight strikeouts, matching her career high. Her counterpart, Taylor Dicranian allowed just two hits in the complete-game victory.
Utica 12, Sage 7- Game Two Final
The second game was completely different from the first as the teams combined for 22 hits and 19 runs. Sage jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first but a solo shot by senior
Kaitlyn Paul (Albany, NY/Guilderland) in the bottom of the second cut the Gator lead in half.
Sage tacked on two more in the third, but the Pioneers responded with three of their own in the bottom half of the inning thanks to home runs by freshmen
Lauren Paul (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland) and
Abigail Sacks (Colonie, NY/Colonie) to make it 4-4 after three.
Sage scored one run in each of the next three innings, but the Pioneers used eight runs of their own, including five in the fifth to earn the victory.
Kaitlyn Paul (Albany, NY/Guilderland) was 2-for-3 with a pair of solo home runs and two RBI while her sister,
Lauren Paul (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland), was 2-for-4 with a home run and five runs driven in. Sacks had a 2-for-3 performance at the dish with a long ball while
Emily Joss (South Glens Falls, NY/South Glens Falls) also had two hits in the win.
Jordyn Conte (Newport, NY/West Canada Valley High School) earned the win after tossing four innings allowing four runs on seven hits.
Utica (11-15, 4-4 Empire 8) will host Union College on April 20 with game one of the doubleheader starting at 3 p.m.
