ROCHESTER, NY - The Utica University softball team came up shy in its quest to capture the program's first-ever Empire 8 title on Saturday. The Pioneers fell to the top-seeded St. John Fisher Cardinals 4-2 in game one and 9-1 in five innings in game two. 
 
Fisher 4, Utica 2 - Empire 8 Championship Game 1
Emily Joss (South Glens Falls, NY/South Glens Falls) accounted for over half of Utica's hits, going 4-for-4 with an RBI and a run. Maddie Zulager (Moorpark, CA/Moorpark), Rachel Little (Burbank, CA/John Burroughs), and Lauren Paul (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland) all had one hit in the game as well. 
 
Jordyn Conte (Newport, NY/West Canada Valley High School) pitched well over her seven innings of work, allowing four runs (three earned) on 10 hits and four walks while striking out four. 
 
The Cardinals, serving as the away team in game one, looked to threaten with a big top of the 1st inning. Back-to-back singles followed by a fielder's choice and walk loaded the bases with one out. Conte struck out the next batter before issuing a walk for the first run of the game. However, she dug in and stuck out the final batter of the half inning to limit the damage to just one run. 
 
Utica got the run back later in the bottom of the 2nd on an RBI single off the bat of Joss. Conte worked through the 3rd inning with runners on base to navigate out without any runs coming in. 
 
Still 1-1 in the top of the 4th, the Cardinals jumped out front three batters into the inning on an RBI single. Once again, Conte got herself and the team out with just one run allowed as the game remained 2-1 through four full. 
 
Come the top of the 5th, the Cardinals created some separation thanks to a leadoff home run and an infield error that scored a run. The Pioneers manufactured one run back in the bottom half to go into the 6th trailing 4-2. 
 
Fisher loaded the bases in its half of the 6th but Conte denied the hosts any insurance runs while the Pioneers went empty in their half of the inning. The Cardinals were blanked by Conte again in the top of the 7th to send the offense up to bat down by two runs with three outs to play with. 
 
Just as they had all game, the Pioneers put the ball in play in the bottom of the 7th. However, the Fisher defense played each batter to perfection to make all three outs in order and to send the tournament to a winner-take-all championship game two. 
 
Fisher 9, Utica 1 - Empire 8 Championship Game 2 (5 Inn.)
Jennifer Rodriguez (Sylmar, CA/John F. Kennedy) and Frankie Luster (Granada Hills, CA/Granada Hills Charter) led the team with two hits each, Rodriguez doing so with an RBI and Luster with a double and a run scored. Emily Joss (South Glens Falls, NY/South Glens Falls) closed out her accomplished Pioneers career with a base-hit while Maddie Zulager (Moorpark, CA/Moorpark), Cassidy Doiron (Beacon Falls, CT/Woodland Regional) and Lauren Paul (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland) all had hits as well. 
 
Kylie Murray (Eastchester, NY/Eastchester) started the game and went three innings allowing seven runs (six earned) on six hits and one walk while striking out one. Lucia Gargiulo (Massapequa, NY/Massapequa) went one-plus frames, surrendering two runs on two hits with a strikeout. 
 
The Pioneers were the designated away team for game two and stranded a pair of runners in the top of the 1st to leave the game scoreless going into the bottom. In their half of the 1st, the Cardinals had a pair come home; the first on a throwing error down to third base on a pickoff attempt and another later in the inning on a sacrifice fly. Murray fielded a pop out to move the game into the second with Utica down 2-0. 
 
Both pitchers traded scoreless 2nd innings while Utica came up empty in the 3rd, paving way to a five-run Fisher bottom of the 3rd to give the top-seed and defending champions a 7-0 cushion. 
 
Utica opened up the top of the 4th with Doiron singling, Little taking a hit by pitch and Paul singling to load the bases with none away. However, the team failed to plate a run as the next three batters went down in order via infield fly, a pop out to second base and a fielder's choice. 
 
Garguilo entered the game in the circle for Utica in the Fisher half of the 4th and set the Cardinals down in order. The Pioneers broke through in the 5th as Rodriguez singled home Luster, leading to runners on first and second with no outs and one run in. That would wind up being all for the team that inning as the score remained 7-1 entering the bottom of the 5th. 
 
Following a leadoff single, E8 Tournament MVP Mari Spitz came up and ended the game via run rule on a two-run walk-off home run to left-center field to deliver Fisher back-to-back league titles. 
 
The Pioneers complete their season with 22 wins and their first postseason appearance since 2021. The team also reached its first Empire 8 Championship game since the 2018 season.