ORLANDO, FL - The Utica University softball team continued The Spring Games beating North Park 8-7 and falling to Wooster 7-6 in a 10-inning thriller. Emily Joss (South Glens Falls, NY/South Glens Falls) surpassed 150 career hits in game two which now sits seventh all-time.
 
Utica 8, North Park 7
 
Taylor Kraft (Loudonville, NY/Shaker) led the way offensively, going 2-for-3 with three RBIs and one run scored. Brooke Beleza (Amherstview, Ontario/Jefferson Community College) also turned in a strong game, going 2-for-3 with two RBIs, two runs and one walk. Jennifer Rodriguez (Sylmar, CA/John F. Kennedy) continues to be an on base machine smacking two hits today and crossing the plate twice. Frankie Luster (Granada Hills, CA/Granada Hills Charter) had a hit and one RBI with Emily Joss (South Glens Falls, NY/South Glens Falls) and Cassidy Doiron (Beacon Falls, CT/Woodland Regional) also getting one hit. Abigail Sacks (Colonie, NY/Colonie) drove in one run via a sacrifice fly and also walked during the contest.
 
Jordyn Conte (Newport, NY/West Canada Valley High School) got the start in the circle going 4.1 innings on six hits, allowing six runs, two earned, with two walks issued, and a trio of strikeouts to earn her second win of the new season. She was relieved by Maggie Habernig (Kingston, NY/Kingston) going .1 of an inning while walking two. Kylie Murray (Eastchester, NY/Eastchester) was terrific, closing out the game going 2.1 innings on just two hits while allowing one earned run, issuing two walks while striking out three to earn the save.
 
North Park struck first in the bottom of the 1st as a single and home run gave the team a quick 2-0 advantage after one inning of play. It would be a quick second inning for both sides with Beleza doubling to leadoff the top of the 3rd yet was stranded.
 
North Park tacked on another run in the bottom of the 3rd inning to push its lead to 3-0. Yet, Utica came storming back in the top of the 4th as Rodriguez got the rally started with a single up the middle. She later scored on a Sacks sacrifice fly to make it 3-1 Vikings. Taylor Kraft (Loudonville, NY/Shaker) delivered a clutch double to plate Beleza and Courtney Robinson (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) to knot the score at 3-3 after four innings of play.
 
The Pioneers kept the pressure on in the top of the 5th with a whopping six hits leading to five runs and a commanding 8-3 advantage. North Park had a strong bottom of the inning scoring three runs to cut the Utica lead to just 8-6. 
 
The Vikings added another run in the 6th to make it an 8-7 Utica edge yet Murray was fantastic on the mound and shut the door to secure the 8-7 victory for the Pioneers.
 
Wooster 7, Utica 6 (10 Inn.)
 
Jennifer Rodriguez (Sylmar, CA/John F. Kennedy) and Abigail Sacks (Colonie, NY/Colonie) led the way for the offense each collecting three hits with the former driving in a pair of runs. Joss collected two hits to surpass 150 for her career while also driving in two and scoring once. Erica Sanford (Boonville, NY/Adirondack) and Frankie Luster (Granada Hills, CA/Granada Hills Charter) each recorded one hit and one RBI in the contest. Luster hit a clutch homer in the bottom of the 9th to force a 10th inning. Cassidy Doiron (Beacon Falls, CT/Woodland Regional), Lauren Paul (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland), Taylor Kraft (Loudonville, NY/Shaker), and Rachel Little (Burbank, CA/John Burroughs) each collected a base knock.
 
Kylie Murray (Eastchester, NY/Eastchester) turned in another nice outing in the circle pitching nine innings on 11 hits, six runs, four earned, with a trio of punchouts. Maggie Habernig (Kingston, NY/Kingston) went one inning allowing no hits on one unearned run to receive the loss.
 
Wooster enjoyed a strong start to the game scoring one run in the 1st and another in the 3rd to hold a slim 2-0 edge.
 
Utica came alive in the 4th and worked the pitch count producing four singles and a pair of walks to grab a 3-2 lead. Joss delivered the timely hit with a single to right field to score Kraft and Paul to give the Pioneers a 3-2 lead, yet Wooster tied it 3-3 in the top of the 5th inning.
 
Both pitchers settled in not allowing a run or many baserunners for the next handful of innings. The Fighting Scots struck again in the 9th plating two runs to hold a 6-4 lead. But Rodriguez chose the perfect time to smack a first career game-tying two run bomb to knot the score at 6-6 and force a 10th inning.
 
Wooster scored an unearned run in the 10th and Utica threatened with a runner 90 feet from tying yet the Fighting Scots held on for a 7-6 win in a thrilling game.
 
Utica (3-3, 0-0 Empire 8) will remain in Orlando, FL and face No. 11 Bethel University on Thursday, March 14 at 4 p.m. and then Curry College at 6:15 p.m.