NORTH MYRTLE BEACH/LITTLE RIVER, SC - The Utica University softball team won both of its games on Monday in the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic with a 10-0 (5 Inn.) victory over Fanciscan and a 3-1 win over Randolph.
Utica 10, Franciscan 0 (5 Inn.)
Four Pioneers had multi-hit games in
Lauren Paul (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland) (2-3),
Cassidy Doiron (Beacon Falls, CT/Woodland Regional) (2-2),
Taylor Kraft (Loudonville, NY/Shaker) (2-3) and
Abbigayle Finch (New Paltz, NY/New Paltz) (2-3). Finch led the team with three RBI while Kraft and Doiron drove in a pair each.
In the circle,
Lucia Gargiulo (Massapequa, NY/Massapequa) tossed four shutout innings allowing just two hits while striking out six and walking none.
Kelly Thornton (Stanhope, NJ/Lenape Valley Regional) came in to pitch the final inning and retired the side in order.
Utica scored in all but the 4th inning including jumping out of the gate with a three-run top of the 1st. With two outs in the frame, Paul singled home
Kylie Murray (Eastchester, NY/Eastchester) from third and was followed by a two-RBI double off the bat of Doiron.
In the 2nd,
Alyssa Barbato (Rhinebeck, NY/Rhinebeck) opened the inning with a double and was immediately brought home by a Finch single. A Kraft triple in the 3rd scored Doiron to put the Pioneers up 5-0.
The team then chalked up five more in the top of the 5th with RBI singles by
Bailey McElwain (Baldwinsville, NY/Charles W. Baker High School), Kraft and Julia Huckabone, as well as a two-RBI double by Finch. Thornton came on in relief in the bottom half and set Franciscan down in order to end the game.
Utica 3, Randolph 1
Kylie Murray (Eastchester, NY/Eastchester) was the star of game two for Utica as she tossed a complete game allowing just one run on five hits with two strikeouts while also leading the team at the plate with two hits.
All three of the Pioneers' runs came in the top of the 1st inning.
Abigail Sacks (Colonie, NY/Colonie) singled home Murray for a 1-0 lead before a costly outfield error by Randolph allowed two Pioneers to score for a 3-0 lead.
That was all the breathing room Murray needed. The sophomore escaped the 1st after allowing a leadoff double before setting down Randolph in order in the 2nd. Her lone blemish came in the bottom of the 3rd on a two-out single however, that would be all. She faced the minimum over the 4th and 5th innings while getting out of a jam in the 6th in which she gave up a pair of singles.
In the 7th, Murray retired the side in order yet again to walk away with the complete game victory.
Utica (3-0, 0-0 Empire 8) will remain in Little River on Tuesday to take on the University of Scranton at 9 a.m. and Cairn University at 1 p.m. Both games will be played on field six.
