LITTLE RIVER, SC - The Utica University softball team completed yet another sweep in the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic with wins over FDU-Florham and Keene State on Thursday. 
 
Utica 5, FDU-Florham 1
 
At the plate, Lauren Paul (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland) and Cassidy Doiron (Beacon Falls, CT/Woodland Regional) led the team with two hits while each had one RBI a piece. Taylor Kraft (Loudonville, NY/Shaker) and Bailey McElwain (Baldwinsville, NY/Charles W. Baker High School) each drove in a run also. 
 
In the circle, Jordyn Conte (Newport, NY/West Canada Valley High School) went the distance allowing just one run on five hits while striking out three and walking none. 
 
Pitcher Jordyn Conte (Newport, NY/West Canada Valley High School) and the Pioneers escaped the top of the 1st unharmed after cutting down a Devils runner in a rundown trying to score from third on a single to shortstop. 
 
The Pioneers went on to put up two runs in the home half of the frame. After Kylie Murray (Eastchester, NY/Eastchester) worked a one-out walk, Lauren Paul (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland) shot a double deep to the left-center gap to bring home Murray from first. Two batters later, Cassidy Doiron (Beacon Falls, CT/Woodland Regional) doubled to left-center as well, allowing Paul to come home from third for a 2-0 Utica lead. 
 
Conte retired the next nine batters down in order through the top of the 4th inning while the Pioneers added an insurance run in the bottom half. Doiron opened up the inning with a double before Abriana Wadley (Utica, NY/Proctor) came in to pinch run. After tagging up on a flyout, Wadley did so again on a Taylor Kraft (Loudonville, NY/Shaker) flyout, giving Utica a 3-0 lead entering the 5th. 
 
FDU got its bats going in the top of the 5th, however. Back-to-back singles gave the Devils runners on first and second with none away. Conte dug her heels in though. The ensuing batter singled up the middle to make it a 3-1 game however, Conte forced a groundout to short, eliminating the batter, followed by a 6-3-2 putout to cut down the runner trying to score from third. Conte set the next batter down on strikes to minimize the damage. 
 
With one out in the home half of the 5th, Emily Joss (South Glens Falls, NY/South Glens Falls) got the run back that Utica gave up in the top. Joss tripled to right field before coming home on a fielding error at third base. The Pioneers eventually took a 5-1 lead into the top of the 7th after a run in the 6th staring down a 6-0 start to the season. 
 
Conte ensured that would be the case. The senior retired the side in order as the Pioneers took the game, 5-1. 
 
Utica 12, Keene State 4 (5 Inn.)
 
A handful of Pioneers had two-hit performances on the afternoon in Lauren Paul (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland) (2-4, 3 RBI, HR), Cassidy Doiron (Beacon Falls, CT/Woodland Regional) (2-3, 3 RBI), Kylie Murray (Eastchester, NY/Eastchester) (2-3, RBI), Abbigayle Finch (New Paltz, NY/New Paltz) (2-3, RBI) and Taylor Kraft (Loudonville, NY/Shaker) (2-3). 
 
Murray also went the distance in the circle, allowing four runs, three earned, on 11 hits with three strikeouts and a walk. 
 
Through the first two innings, Utica, who served as the home team, opened the floodgates with a 7-0 lead. 
 
Murray allowed her first few runs over the game over the 3rd and 4th frames however, the Pioneers remained ahead 7-3 entering the bottom half of the 4th. There, Lauren Paul (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland) belted her first home run of the season, a two-run shot, to open the team's lead to 9-3. Brooke Catlin (Brewerton, NY/Central Square High School) drove in another on a sacrifice fly to make it a 10-3 game through four full. 
 
Murray gave up one more run in the top half of the 5th before the Pioneers, thanks to RBIs by Murray and Paul, scored two more runs in the home half to walk-off the game via run rule. 
 
Utica (7-0, 0-0 Empire 8) will round out its South Carolina trip on Friday with a pair of games. The team will take on UMass Boston at 11 a.m. before going up against Lycoming College at 1 p.m., both from North Myrtle Beach Sports Complex in Little River, SC.