CLINTON, NY - The Utica University softball team topped Hamilton College 6-3 on Sunday afternoon to collect a non-conference victory.
 
Emily Joss (South Glens Falls, NY/South Glens Falls) led the offense, going 2-for-2 with a pair of runs and walks while also driving in one. Jennifer Rodriguez (Sylmar, CA/John F. Kennedy) added a pair of hits with one RBI with Rachel Little (Burbank, CA/John Burroughs) also recording two base knocks. Frankie Luster (Granada Hills, CA/Granada Hills Charter) smacked one hit with a team-leading two RBIs, with Maddie Zulager (Moorpark, CA/Moorpark) and Taylor Kraft (Loudonville, NY/Shaker) each driving in one.
 
Jordyn Conte (Newport, NY/West Canada Valley High School) got the nod in the circle and was terrific, going six innings on 12 hits, allowing three runs, all earned, while punching out seven to collect her eighth win of the season. Maggie Habernig (Kingston, NY/Kingston) closed the game out, pitching the final inning allowing just one base runner via a hit by pitch.
 
Walks by Joss and Zulager gave the Pioneers two on with just one out in the 1st when Rodriguez singled down the right field line to plate Joss. Kraft hit a deep sacrifice fly to score Zulager and give Utica a 2-0 lead. Yet Hamilton responded with a leadoff triple and trimmed the lead to 2-1 after one inning of play.
 
Utica's bats remained hot in the 2nd as Joss drove in Little on a double to center field to push the lead to 3-1. Luster followed this up by driving in Joss on a single up the middle to make it a 4-1 advantage for the Pioneers.
 
Utica was on the basepaths again in the 4th as walks by Lauren Paul (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland) and Joss plus a Little single loaded the bases with just one out. Luster walked to force in a run and Zulager singled to center field to increase the lead to 6-1.
 
The next few turns for each side remained quiet until Hamilton tacked on a pair in the bottom of the 6th to make it 6-3 which would stand as the game's final score.
 
Utica (20-11, 8-4 Empire 8) will wrap up its regular season at St. John Fisher on Saturday, May 4 at 1 p.m.