HOUGHTON, NY - The Utica University softball team took both games from the Houghton University Highlanders on Saturday afternoon. The games served as the final two regular season games for the Pioneers.
With the wins, Utica puts itself in position to qualify for the Empire 8 Conference Tournament. However, the team needs Medaille University to sweep Nazareth College on Sunday to earn a postseason berth as Elmira (8-8) and Nazareth (7-7 entering Sunday) hold tiebreakers over the Pioneers.
Utica 13, Houghton 4 (6 Inn.)
The Pioneers went off for 13 runs on 14 hits in the game one win.
Cassidy Doiron (Beacon Falls, CT/Woodland Regional) went perfect at the plate going 4-for-4 with four RBIs.
Emily Joss (South Glens Falls, NY/South Glens Falls) led the team with five runs driven in as she went 2-for-5 with two walks worked.
Maddie Zulager (Moorpark, CA/Moorpark) and
Taylor Kraft (Loudonville, NY/Shaker) had two hit games as well while
Lauren Paul (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland) belted her team-leading sixth home run of the year.
Jordyn Conte (Newport, NY/West Canada Valley High School) earned her seventh win of the season after five innings of work allowing one run on eight hits and one walk with four strikeouts.
Maggie Habernig (Kingston, NY/Kingston) and
Kelly Thornton (Stanhope, NJ/Lenape Valley Regional) combined for the final inning in the circle.
The team scored in each of the six innings, starting with one run in the 1st on an E5 by Houghton. Joss went on to drive in a pair in the 2nd inning while Paul's home run in the 3rd made it 4-0.
Joss pushed Utica's lead to 5-0 in the 4th inning on a sacrifice fly while the Highlanders scored their first run in the home half, closing its deficit to four runs.
Utica put its foot on the gas from that point on. In the 5th, Kraft drove home a run on a two-bagger while Doiron brought home a pair on a single. Then in the 6th, Doiron brought home two more runs while teammates Joss (two RBI double) and
Erica Sanford (Boonville, NY/Adirondack) (RBI double) helped put the Pioneers ahead 13-1.
While Houghton scored three runs in the 6th, it was not enough to push the game to the 7th as Utica won the opening contest via mercy rule.
Utica 5, Houghton 0
The Pioneer bats stayed hot recording eight hits in game two.
Alyssa Barbato (Rhinebeck, NY/Rhinebeck) led the team going 2-for-3 while
Bailey McElwain (Baldwinsville, NY/Charles W. Baker High School),
Lauren Paul (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland),
Maddie Zulager (Moorpark, CA/Moorpark),
Taylor Kraft (Loudonville, NY/Shaker),
Cassidy Doiron (Beacon Falls, CT/Woodland Regional), and
Brooke Catlin (Brewerton, NY/Central Square High School) each recorded one hit. McElwain, Kraft, and Doiron each recorded one RBI in the contest.
Kylie Murray (Eastchester, NY/Eastchester) was majestic on the mound earning her seventh win of the season in a complete game shutout. The sophomore allowed six hits, on zero runs, zero walks with a career-high 10 strikeouts.
Cassidy Doiron (Beacon Falls, CT/Woodland Regional) opened the scoring for the Pioneers with a sacrifice fly in the 2nd inning to give Utica a 1-0 lead.
The Pioneers bats stayed hot and
Taylor Kraft (Loudonville, NY/Shaker) singled up the middle to score
Abigail Sacks (Colonie, NY/Colonie) in the 2nd inning.
Utica kept pouring it on as McElwain brought home two in the 4th inning to increase the Pioneer lead to 4-0.
Lauren Paul (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland) reached on an error in the 5th and
Erica Sanford (Boonville, NY/Adirondack) scored on the play.
Murray kept shutting down the Highlanders offense in the circle and Utica held on for a 5-0 victory.
If qualified, Utica (19-16, 8-8 Empire 8) will play in the Empire 8 First Round contest on Tuesday, May 9. Opponent, time and location are all TBD.
