NORTH MYRTLE BEACH/LITTLE RIVER, SC - The Utica University softball team stayed hot and won both of its games on Tuesday in the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic with a 6-3 win over the University of Scranton and a 12-3 (5 Inn.) win over Cairn University. The Pioneers are now 5-0 to start the new campaign.
 
Utica 6, Scranton 3
Emily Joss (South Glens Falls, NY/South Glens Falls) and Cassidy Doiron (Beacon Falls, CT/Woodland Regional) led the way for the Pioneers with multi-hit games. Joss continued to get on base and led the team with two runs scored while Doiron came through with runners in scoring position leading the team with two RBIs. Lauren Paul (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland), Erica Sanford (Boonville, NY/Adirondack), and Taylor Kraft (Loudonville, NY/Shaker) each drove in one run in the contest.
 
On the mound, Maggie Habernig (Kingston, NY/Kingston) made her collegiate debut and picked up the win with five innings of work with three strikeouts while allowing just one earned run. Kylie Murray (Eastchester, NY/Eastchester) relieved her and pitched two innings allowing just two hits and one run while picking up the save.
 
The game featured plenty of early runs before the pitchers got settled in. Scranton struck first in the top of the 1st to take a 2-0 lead and capitalized on a Utica fielding error. Yet, the Pioneers came striking right back as Lauren Paul (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland) drove in Emily Joss (South Glens Falls, NY/South Glens Falls) on an RBI single before Cassidy Doiron (Beacon Falls, CT/Woodland Regional) had the big hit in the inning driving in Lauren Paul (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland) and Kylie Murray (Eastchester, NY/Eastchester) on an RBI single to give Utica a 3-2 lead. Erica Sanford (Boonville, NY/Adirondack) kept the rally going and collected an RBI single of her own to put the Pioneers ahead 4-2 after a high scoring 1st inning.
 
The pitchers found their groove as the next run did not come until the 5th inning when Abigail Sacks (Colonie, NY/Colonie) doubled to bring home Emily Joss (South Glens Falls, NY/South Glens Falls) and increase the Utica lead to 5-2.
 
Scranton scratched another run across the board in the top of the 6th, yet the Pioneers responded in the bottom half of the inning with a Taylor Kraft (Loudonville, NY/Shaker) sacrifice fly to push the lead to 6-3. Murray shut down the door in the 7th to give Utica a 6-3 victory.
 
Utica 12, Cairn 3 (5 Inn.)
Kylie Murray (Eastchester, NY/Eastchester) turned in a 4-for-4 performance to lead the Pioneers while Emily Joss (South Glens Falls, NY/South Glens Falls), Cassidy Doiron (Beacon Falls, CT/Woodland Regional), and Maddie Zulager (Moorpark, CA/Moorpark) each collected two hits. Murray, Zulager, Brooke Catlin (Brewerton, NY/Central Square High School), and Juliana Huckabone (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) each recorded two RBIs while Doiron and Alyssa Barbato (Rhinebeck, NY/Rhinebeck) each drove in one run. 
 
In the circle, Kelly Thornton (Stanhope, NJ/Lenape Valley Regional) picked up her first win of her career in 3.1 innings pitched allowing just two runs with four strikeouts. She was relieved by Jordyn Conte (Newport, NY/West Canada Valley High School) who was lights out allowing zero hits and one unearned run over two innings of relief.
 
The bats were red hot for Utica as the team plated four runs in three out of their four innings at bat.
 
Cairn struck first in the top of the 1st with a sacrifice fly to take a 1-0 edge. Yet, Utica responded with four runs in the bottom half of the inning. Kylie Murray (Eastchester, NY/Eastchester) doubled to bring home Emily Joss (South Glens Falls, NY/South Glens Falls) to knot the game at 1-1. Murray then scored on a wild pitch to give the Pioneers a 2-1 lead before RBI singles by Cassidy Doiron (Beacon Falls, CT/Woodland Regional) and Maddie Zulager (Moorpark, CA/Moorpark) increased the Utica edge to 4-1 at the end of the 1st.
 
Cairn scored off an RBI single in the top of the 3rd to cut the Utica lead to 4-2. The Pioneers responded with another four-run inning in the bottom of the 3rd. Zulager got the scoring started with an RBI single before Brooke Catlin (Brewerton, NY/Central Square High School) and Juliana Huckabone (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) recorded fielder's choices to plate two more runs. Kylie Murray (Eastchester, NY/Eastchester) singled to bring home the eighth Utica run of the afternoon and conclude the big 3rd inning for the Pioneers.
 
Cairn scratched another run across the board in the top of the 4th to cut the Utica lead to 8-3. Yet, Utica responded with its third fourth run inning of the game. Alyssa Barbato (Rhinebeck, NY/Rhinebeck) brought home one run with a single and then another run came across on a throwing error by Cairn. Brooke Catlin (Brewerton, NY/Central Square High School) brought home another run on a fielder's choice and Juliana Huckabone (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) singled to bring home Barbato and push the Utica lead to 12-3.
 
Jordyn Conte (Newport, NY/West Canada Valley High School) shut the door in the top of the 5th and Utica won 12-3 to remain perfect to start the new season.
 
Utica (5-0, 0-0 Empire 8) will remain at the Fastpitch Dreams Classic and on Wednesday take on FDU-Florham at 11 a.m. and Keene State at 3 p.m.