UTICA, NY - The Utica University softball team swept both games of its series against the Hartwick College Hawks on Tuesday evening. The Pioneers took game one in decisive 14-2 fashion, before taking game two in a competitive matchup 10-8. 
 
Game One: Utica, 14 Hartwick, 2
 
Leading the Pioneers at the plate in game one was Brooke Beleza (Amherstview, Ontario/Jefferson Community College) who went a perfect 4-4 with four RBIs. Meghan Paul (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland) cracked her third home run of the season, while going 2-3 with two RBIs. Abigail Sacks (Colonie, NY/Colonie) also put together a 2-3 outing, with two RBIs. Kylie Murray (Eastchester, NY/Eastchester) got the starting nod in the circle for the Pioneers, dishing her fourth complete game of the season, allowing just two runs on six hits with five strikeouts. 
 
Neither team would be able to get on the board until the top of the third inning when it would be the Hawks that would break the ice with a run in the frame. Utica responded by piling on a massive seven run bottom half of the third, beginning with an RBI single from Beleza that would start the scoring. Paul would then crack her third long shot of the season, a two-run shot, that would clear the basepaths. Emily Lehane (Franklin Square, NY/H. Frank Carey) would then reach on an error by the second baseman, advancing the runners pushing the Pioneer lead to 4-1. Murray would then crack an RBI double that would score one, and a two RBI single from Alexis Scott (Binghamton, NY/Chenango Forks) would score two pushing the Pioneer lead to 7-1 at the end of the third frame. 
 
Hartwick would attempt to cut the deficit by bringing a run across in the top of the fourth, but the Pioneers would not take that lightly and would dump another seven runs on the Hawks in the bottom of the frame. Sacks would start the scoring with a two-RBI single to center field, then Rachel Little (Burbank, CA/John Burroughs) would score on a wild pitch pushing the Pioneer lead to 10-2. A sacrifice fly off the bat of Murray would bring in Sacks, followed by a three-RBI double from Beleza that would seal the deal for Utica, allowing the Pioneers to walk away from game one with a decisive 14-2 victory. 
 
Game Two: Utica 10, Hartwick, 8
 
Leading the Pioneers in game two, once again was Brooke Beleza (Amherstview, Ontario/Jefferson Community College) who went 2-3 with two RBIs, as well as Meghan Paul (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland) who also went 2-3 with two RBIs. Abigail Sacks (Colonie, NY/Colonie) once again was dominant, sporting three RBIs on the evening, while Alexis Scott (Binghamton, NY/Chenango Forks) was patient at the plate drawing two walks. Lucia Gargiulo (Massapequa, NY/Massapequa) got the starting nod for the Pioneers, working her way to her second win of the season, allowing four runs on seven hits with five strikeouts. Caroline Porter (Chittenango, NY/Chittenango) came in relief, pitching only one inning and allowing four runs on two hits with four walks. 
 
Utica got the bats going early, scoring a run in the bottom of the first off the bat of Sacks, followed up by a five run second inning with runs coming in off the bats of Beleza, Paul and Sacks, followed by a run in the third courtesy of Erica Sanford (Boonville, NY/Adirondack) would put the Pioneers ahead 7-0 heading into the fourth inning. 
 
Hartwick would respond with four runs in the top of the fourth, before the Pioneers would put three runs on the Hawks once more, pushing the lead to 10-4 at the end of the fourth.
 
Both teams would be unable to bring runners across in the fifth, and the Hawks would be able to put two through in each of the final two innings, but would be unable to complete the comeback, with Utica walking away with the win by a score of 10-8. 
 
Utica (12-6, 7-1 Empire 8) returns to action tomorrow, Wednesday, April 16 as the team travels to Albany, NY to take on the Russell Sage College Gators in a conference doubleheader. First pitch of game one is slated for 3pm.