UTICA, NY - The Utica University softball team split its conference doubleheader showdown with cross town rival and conference newcomer SUNY Poly on Tuesday evening. The Wildcats took game one 6-3, before the Pioneers would take game two 7-1.
Game One: Utica 3, Poly 6
Leading the Pioneers in game one was
Rachel Little (Burbank, CA/John Burroughs), who went 1-2 at the plate with two walks, a double, and an RBI.
Taylor Kraft (Loudonville, NY/Shaker) also contributed with a 1-4 performance, driving in two runs in the seventh inning.
Meghan Paul (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland) added a hit and a run, while
Kylie Murray (Eastchester, NY/Eastchester) had a strong game offensively, going 2-3 with a single and an infield hit.
Kylie Murray (Eastchester, NY/Eastchester) started in the circle for the Pioneers but was tagged with the loss, giving up four runs on eight hits in three innings of work.
Kelly Thornton (Stanhope, NJ/Lenape Valley Regional) took over in relief and pitched four innings, allowing two unearned runs on six hits while striking out two.
SUNY Poly jumped out to an early lead with one run in the first and another in the second, aided by defensive miscues from Utica. A two-RBI double by Poly in the third extended the lead to 4-0. Two more unearned runs in the fifth inning pushed the Wildcat advantage to 6-0.
The Pioneers attempted a late rally in the seventh, sparked by a double from Little to score
Brooke Beleza (Amherstview, Ontario/Jefferson Community College) and a two-RBI single by Kraft that brought home both Little and Paul. However, the three-run surge wasn't enough to close the gap, and Utica dropped game one by a final score of 6-3.
Game Two: Utica 7, Poly 1
Leading the way for the Pioneers in game two was
Brooke Beleza (Amherstview, Ontario/Jefferson Community College) and
Meghan Paul (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland) , each collecting two hits on the day. Beleza scored twice and drove in a run, while Paul added two RBIs..
Alexis Scott (Binghamton, NY/Chenango Forks) had a strong performance as well, going 2-3 with two RBIs and a run scored.
Rachel Little (Burbank, CA/John Burroughs) reached base three times and added an RBI and a run, and
Abigail Sacks (Colonie, NY/Colonie) drove in one with a walk.
Kylie Murray (Eastchester, NY/Eastchester) and
Taylor Kraft (Loudonville, NY/Shaker) each went 1-3 with a run, and Murray added a double to her outing.
Maggie Habernig (Kingston, NY/Kingston) earned her third win of the season with a complete game effort, tossing all seven innings while allowing just one unearned run on five hits with seven strikeouts and one walk.
SUNY Poly took a brief lead in the top of the third, capitalizing on an error to bring in an unearned run off a sac fly. The Pioneers quickly responded in the bottom half, as
Erica Sanford (Boonville, NY/Adirondack) reached and later scored on a booming RBI double by Paul. A sacrifice fly from Little brought in another, giving Utica a 2-1 lead after three.
The game broke wide open in the fourth. Back-to-back hits from Kraft and Murray set the table, and Scott came through with a two-RBI single up the middle. Beleza followed with an RBI double, and Paul capped the rally with another RBI single. A passed ball would allow one more run to score, ballooning the Pioneer lead to 7-1.
Utica's pitching and defense took over from there, holding SUNY Poly scoreless the rest of the way. Habernig worked out of multiple small jams, backed by a clean defensive effort that limited the Wildcats to just five hits and no errors. With the victory, the Pioneers rebounded from game one to earn a decisive 7-1 win.
Utica (18-8, 13-3 Empire 8) returns to action on Friday, April 25 as the team travels to take on the Nazareth University Golden Flyers in a conference doubleheader. First pitch of game one from Rochester, NY is set for 2pm.
