UTICA, NY - The Utica softball team heads into its final week of the regular season with six scheduled games. The team will head to Clinton, NY to take on Hamilton College on Wednesday, April 26 at 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. before traveling to Houghton to face off against Houghton University on Friday, April 28 at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. The Pioneers will then return home on Saturday, April 29 to host Alfred University at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Follow Along: Hamilton College will provide a livestream for the games via
https://www.nsnsports.net/colleges/hamilton/ along with live stats here,
https://athletics.hamilton.edu/sidearmstats/softball/summary. Houghton will do the same, providing live stats and video here
https://portal.stretchinternet.com/houghton/, and for those not able to attend the home games on Saturday, live stats and video is also available,
https://portal.stretchinternet.com/utica/.
Last Time Out: The Utica University softball team swept Medaille University on Saturday afternoon to pick up two crucial Empire 8 victories. The team also honored its two seniors
Brooke Catlin (Brewerton, NY/Central Square High School) and
Bailey McElwain (Baldwinsville, NY/Charles W. Baker High School) after the game, both of whom had major implications on the seventh inning rally in game two. In the 7-2 win in game one,
Emily Joss (South Glens Falls, NY/South Glens Falls) and
Taylor Kraft (Loudonville, NY/Shaker) led the way, each picking up one hit with two RBIs.
Cassidy Doiron (Beacon Falls, CT/Woodland Regional) recorded a towering home run while
Kylie Murray (Eastchester, NY/Eastchester) had a pair of hits and drove in one run.
Maddie Zulager (Moorpark, CA/Moorpark),
Erica Sanford (Boonville, NY/Adirondack), and
Abigail Sacks (Colonie, NY/Colonie) all had one hit in the contest. In the circle
Jordyn Conte (Newport, NY/West Canada Valley High School) pitched a complete game picking up her sixth win of the season. Over seven innings of work she allowed two runs, one earned on five hits with five strikeouts. Game two was a pitcher's duel as the team's combined for just eight hits in Utica's 1-0 win.
Lauren Paul (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland) led the way with two hits and had the walk-off RBI knock. Sacks, Kraft, and
Bailey McElwain (Baldwinsville, NY/Charles W. Baker High School) each recorded one hit.
Kylie Murray (Eastchester, NY/Eastchester) was incredible in the circle pitching a three-hit shutout to collect her sixth win of the season. The sophomore was attacking the zone with ease and over her seven innings of work allowed just three hits, zero runs, with six strikeouts.
Looking Ahead To The Postseason: With a 6-6 record in conference play, the Pioneers find themselves fifth in the Empire 8 standings. Utica is three games back of first place behind Alfred, who they host for a pair of games this weekend. The Empire 8 Conference Tournament will take the top-five teams from the regular season while the top-three will receive a bye directly to the double elimination portion of the playoffs. The fourth-seed will host the fifth-seed in a single, winner-take-all game to advance to the double elimination portion of the tournament.
Tough Outs: The Pioneers have been a high powered offense all season long. In the conference, the team ranks second in runs (165), hits (245), homeruns (13), and in RBI's (149). Its offensive production has been a major contribution to the team's success and looks to carry it deep into the postseason.
Double the Trouble: The Pioneers are leading the Empire 8 conference with 70 total doubles, as well as with 90 extra-base hits. Utica's heart of the order has been driving the ball all season as
Maddie Zulager (Moorpark, CA/Moorpark) (11),
Lauren Paul (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland) (9), and
Cassidy Doiron (Beacon Falls, CT/Woodland Regional) (8) each have recorded plenty of doubles. Tablesetter
Emily Joss (South Glens Falls, NY/South Glens Falls) currently leads the team with 18 doubles which is the most in the conference by four and is tied for the fourth most in Division III.
Pitching Lights Out: Over their last two games on Saturday, the Pioneers allowed just two runs, including a shutout in game two.
Jordyn Conte (Newport, NY/West Canada Valley High School) pitched all seven innings in game one, allowing just five hits and two runs. In game two on Saturday,
Kylie Murray (Eastchester, NY/Eastchester) was on the mound and went all seven innings as well, allowing no runs and just three hits in a dominating performance. When Conte and Murray pitch a complete game this season, the team has a combined 8-1 record.
Scouting Hamilton: The Continentals are 16-18 with a 6-10 record in the New England Small College Athletic Conference play. The team is coming off getting swept by Amherst College with 2-5 and 4-8 losses. Katlynn McGivney leads the team with 50 hits, 15 stolen bases and a .455 batting average. Alison Zorn is a major contributor to the Hamilton offense recording nine doubles and batting in 25 runs. In the circle, Natalie Beebe has seven complete games and 80 strikeouts in 93.1 innings pitched. As a team, Hamilton's pitchers are ranked second in the NESCAC with 145 total strikeouts so far this season.
Scouting Houghton: The Highlanders are 7-24 with a 1-9 record in Empire 8 play. Houghton is coming off losing a doubleheader, 0-9 and 1-9 against the Alfred Saxons. Chyanne Bushyhead leads the team with six home runs, 30 runs batted in, and a 1.019 OPS. The six home runs she hit ranks second in the Empire 8 conference. Elise Swanson has been a solid all-around player for the Highlanders recording 27 hits and a .409 on base percentage while having 165 putouts and a field percentage of .977. Kayla Loomis is the top team's pitcher with 12 complete games and 43 strikeouts over 98.1 innings of work.
Looking at Alfred: The Saxons are 17-11-1 with a 9-1 Empire 8 record which has them atop of the conference. Alfred is coming off a great weekend sweep against Houghton, taking the first game 9-0 and 9-1 in the second game. Mya Wells is the team's top performer leading the charge with seven home runs, 42 hits, and a .758 slugging percentage. Wells leads the Empire 8 conference in homeruns, slugging percentage and runs batted in. As a team, Alfred leads the Empire 8 conference with 61 stolen bases in 71 stolen base attempts. Arden Hatch is the team's ace with a 3.64 ERA, six complete games, 74 strikeouts and accumulated nine wins in the circle. Megan Bennett is Alfred's other ace recording 59 strikeouts, a 3.01 ERA and two shutouts in 69.2 innings played.
Up Next: The team will look to secure its first Empire 8 postseason berth in two seasons. The first round game is set for May 9 while double elimination will begin on May 11 and will be hosted by the top-seed.
