UTICA, NY - The Utica University softball team is set for a three-game road trip this week. The team travels to Schenectady, NY to take on the Union College Garnet Chargers in a doubleheader on Wednesday, April 9 with game one beginning at 3pm. The team then heads west to take on SUNY Brockport in a doubleheader on Friday, April 11 at 2pm, before taking on SUNY Geneseo in a doubleheader on Saturday, April 12 at 1pm. 
 
Follow Along: Live video for Wednesday's matchup can be found here, and live stats can be found here. For Friday's matchup, live video can be found here, and live stats can be found here. Live video for Saturday's matchup can be found here, and live stats can be found here. 
 
Last Time Out: The Utica University softball team opened its home slate last week, taking both games of its series against the Elmira College Soaring Eagles. The Pioneers took game one 12-11, before taking game two in dominant fashion, 14-6. Leading the way for the Pioneers at the plate was Brooke Beleza (Amherstview, Ontario/Jefferson Community College), who went 4-5 with three RBIs. Meghan Paul (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland) and Emily Lehane (Franklin Square, NY/H. Frank Carey) each went 3-4 with Paul recording a double. The Pioneer batters combined for a total of 20 hits, only striking out twice in the contest. Kylie Murray (Eastchester, NY/Eastchester) notched her second win of the season, dealing six innings, allowing eight runs on 12 hits with five strikeouts. Leading the way for the Pioneers at the plate in game two was Abigail Sacks (Colonie, NY/Colonie), going 3-4 with two RBIs, a double, and a stolen base. Rachel Little (Burbank, CA/John Burroughs) went 3-5 with an RBI and a double. Meghan Paul (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland) showed out once again going 2-5 with two run home run for her second of the season. Brooke Beleza (Amherstview, Ontario/Jefferson Community College) was also solid at the plate going 2-4 with a two RBI double. Caroline Porter (Chittenango, NY/Chittenango) would get the starting nod but would only face five batters in the first inning, allowing five runs on two hits. Lucia Gargiulo (Massapequa, NY/Massapequa) came into the game in relief, pitching six innings, only allowing one run on seven hits, with three strikeouts. 
 
Brooke's Ballin': Brooke Beleza (Amherstview, Ontario/Jefferson Community College) put together a great pair of outings for the Pioneers last week against Elmira. Beleza went 6-9 at the plate averaging .667 through two games. In her 10 plate appearances, Beleza was able to bring in five RBIs and scored four runs. Beleza was also patient at the plate, drawing a walk. Beleza was also able to generate an extra base hit with a double, and a total of seven taken bases. The Ontario native currently leads the Pioneers at the plate, averaging .429 with a team high 18 hits and 10 RBIs. Beleza also leads the team in extra base hits with four doubles. At shortstop, Beleza notched seven total catches with three putouts and four assists.
 
Dealer's Choice: Lucia Gargiulo (Massapequa, NY/Massapequa) managed to work the Pioneers out of a five-run deficit as a reliever in the second game against Elmira. Gargiulo went the distance after coming in for relief in the first inning, dealing over 100 pitches and only allowing one run for the remainder of the contest. Gargiulo managed only two walks and nabbed three strikeouts. Gargiulo has posted a 3.73 ERA so far this season, with six strikeouts. She has also allowed the lowest batting average to opponents out of the Pioneer pitching staff this season at .292. Kylie Murray (Eastchester, NY/Eastchester) has been putting in the work for the Pioneers inside the circle as well, posting a 5.51 ERA after appearing in seven games this season. 
 
A Look at Union: The Union College Garnet Chargers have posted a 4-8 record this season and are 1-1 in Liberty League play. Union has been outscored by opponents this season 36-85 and have allowed a .367 team batting average to opponents. Taytum Perkins leads Union at the plate, averaging .313 this season. Perkins leads the team with 10 hits and RBIs with five. Perkins also leads the team in extra base hits with two doubles and a triple. A pair of pitchers have done most of the dealing for Union in Carra Cleaves and Melody Kappel, each starting in six games this season. Cleaves has posted a 2.87 ERA this season with 33 total strikeouts. Cleaves has pitched five complete games this season, pitching a shutout with three wins. Kappel has pitched four complete games this season, posting an 8.59 ERA this season with nine strikeouts. Last season the Pioneers and Garnet Chargers met in a doubleheader at home, with the Pioneers taking the sweep 5-4, 3-1. 
 
Breaking Down Brockport: The Empire 8 Conference newcomer SUNY Brockport Golden Eagles have posted an 8-9 record this season and are 0-3 in conference play. The Golden Eag;es have been outscored by opponents 105-98 this season and have allowed a .331 batting average to opponents. Aubrey Ennis leads Brockport at the plate, posting an impressive .426 average this season with a team high 20 hits and 18 RBIs. Teresa Cotty and Olivia Simone have posted batting averages over .400 this season, with Simone recording over 20 hits, and Cotty just shy of the 20-hit mark. Laina Beer has excelled in the circle for the Golden Eagles, posting a 3.50 ERA this season, working with a 2-1 record with seven strikeouts. This marks the first time in program history that the Pioneers will square off against the Golden Eagles. 
 
Scouting Geneseo: The Empire 8 Conference newcomer SUNY Geneseo Knights have posted a 13-5 record this season and are 5-1 in conference play. Leading the Knights at the plate is Molly Griffin, who leads the Knights with a .600 batting average this season with 21 hits and 15 RBIs. Gabrielle Smith has averaged .429 at the plate this season with 15 hits and six RBIs. A pair of pitchers have done most of the dealing for the Knights in Kaitlyn Schmitz and Gabriella Petroski. Schmitz has posted a 2.12 ERA through seven appearances, only giving up 17 runs with 24 strikeouts. Petroski has posted a 2.58 ERA through nine appearances, giving up 23 runs with 22 strikeouts. The Pioneers and Knights have only met twice in the history of the two programs, with the last matchup coming as a single bill in the team's 2022 Florida slate. The Pioneers fell to the Knights 2-1. 

Up Next: The team continues its road trip by traveling to take on Russell Sage in a conference doubleheader. Game one in Albany, NY on Wednesday, April 16 is set for 3pm.