ROCHESTER, NY - The Utica University softball team was eliminated from Empire 8 Championship contention on Saturday afternoon, falling 9-1 in five innings to St. John Fisher in Game 9 of the tournament.

Leading the Pioneers was Rachel Little (Burbank, CA/John Burroughs), who turned in a strong performance at the plate by going 3-for-3 with an RBI single in the fifth inning that brought home Utica's only run. The Pioneers finished with four hits in the contest, with Taylor Kraft (Loudonville, NY/Shaker) adding a single in the fourth and Emily Lehane (Franklin Square, NY/H. Frank Carey) drawing the team's lone walk. Erica Sanford (Boonville, NY/Adirondack) reached on a bunt and came around to score on Little's base hit, while Alyssa Barbato (Rhinebeck, NY/Rhinebeck) and Lauren Paul (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland) each put the ball in play.Kylie Murray (Eastchester, NY/Eastchester) started in the circle for Utica, working through the first inning and part of the second before exiting with one out in the frame. Murray allowed seven runs (six earned) on four hits, walking two and striking out one. Kelly Thornton (Stanhope, NJ/Lenape Valley Regional) came on in relief and pitched 2.2 innings, surrendering two runs on five hits while striking out three. Lucia Gargiulo (Massapequa, NY/Massapequa)  tossed a scoreless fifth, issuing one walk and recording three outs on just 21 pitches.

St. John Fisher jumped out to an early lead, scoring two runs in the first inning on an RBI walk and a single. The Cardinals broke the game open in the second with five more runs, aided by a pair of RBI hits, including a two-run double. They added two more runs in the fourth inning—one on an RBI double and another on a wild pitch to make it 9-0.

Utica's lone run came in the bottom of the fifth. After Sanford reached on a bunt and Lehane walked, Little singled to right center to drive in Sanford. Utica left runners on second and third to end the inning, and the game concluded after five innings due to the run rule.

With the loss, Utica concludes its season with a 24-12 overall record and a 17-5 mark in Empire 8 play. St. John Fisher advanced to the championship game, eventually falling to the second seeded Alfred University Saxons by a score of 5-2.