ALBANY, NY – The Utica University softball team swept both games of its series against Russell Sage College on Tuesday afternoon. The Pioneers edged out a thrilling 6-5 win in game one before pulling away late in game two for an 8-2 victory.
Game One: Utica, 6 Sage, 5
Leading the way for Utica was Abigail Sacks (Colonie, NY/Colonie), who went 2-for-5 with a game-changing two-run home run in the top of the ninth inning. Emily Lehane (Franklin Square, NY/H. Frank Carey) continued her consistent bat with a 3-for-5 day including a stolen base. Meghan Paul (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland) added a solo home run in the fifth inning and finished 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Rachel Little (Burbank, CA/John Burroughs) contributed two hits and a run scored. In the circle, Kylie Murray (Eastchester, NY/Eastchester) delivered her sixth complete game of the season, pitching all nine innings. She allowed five earned runs on 13 hits, striking out five while walking just one.
Utica struck early in the first inning, capitalizing on an error on the basepaths to bring a run across. After falling behind 2-1 in the second inning, the Pioneers tied it in the fifth on Paul's solo blast to left field. They grabbed a 4-2 lead in the sixth following an RBI double by Murray and a productive groundout.
The Gators fought back with two runs in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game at 4-4 and send it to extras. After a quiet eighth, Sacks launched a two-run homer in the ninth to give Utica a 6-4 edge. Russell Sage managed a run in the bottom half but fell short, allowing the Pioneers to escape with the 6-5 win.
Game Two: Utica, 8 Sage 2
The team completed its sweep with an 8-2 victory in game two, fueled by a big fifth inning and a late insurance burst in the seventh.
Rachel Little (Burbank, CA/John Burroughs) led the offense, going 2-for-4 with three RBIs, including an RBI single in the fifth and an RBI double in the seventh. Abigail Sacks (Colonie, NY/Colonie) went 2-for-3 with an RBI, while Meghan Paul (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland) finished 1-for-3 with an RBI, a walk, and two runs scored. Brooke Beleza (Amherstview, Ontario/Jefferson Community College), Taylor Kraft (Loudonville, NY/Shaker) and Emily Lehane (Franklin Square, NY/H. Frank Carey) each chipped in at least one hit in the contest as well. On the mound, Maggie Habernig (Kingston, NY/Kingston) turned in a strong performance for her second win of the season, with a complete game, allowing two earned runs on seven hits while striking out six.
Sage would strike first with an RBI double in the third, and after a quiet fourth inning Utica responded with a five-run explosion. After two runners reached on singles, Little plated both with a two-RBI double. An error allowed another run to score, and an RBI groundout from Paul and a walk from Sacks extended the Pioneer lead to 5-1.
Utica tacked on three insurance runs in the bottom of the seventh where. Little drove in her third run of the game with a double to left that would score Paul, then came around to score. Sacks added an RBI single to left while Lehane cracked an RBI single to cap the inning and push the lead to 8-1. Sage added one final run on an RBI single, but Habernig shut the door to secure the 8-2 victory for the Pioneers.
Utica (14-6, 9-1 Empire 8) returns home on Friday, April 18 as the team hosts Alfred University in an Empire 8 doubleheader. First pitch of game one from Greenman Softball Field is set for 1pm.
