UTICA, NY - Pioneer softball returns north this weekend to take the field in the Empire State for the first time during the 2026 campaign. The team is set to travel to Troy, New York this Saturday, taking on the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Engineers in the team's first non-conference doubleheader of the season. First pitch of game one is scheduled for Saturday, March 21st at 1 pm, followed by game two, with an estimated start time at 3 pm. 

Follow Along: For those unable to attend, live video can be found here, and live stats can be found here. 

Last Time Out: The Pioneers closed out their spring games last Friday evening with a pair of wins. The orange and blue defeated Westminster College in a 3-2 victory, followed by another Pioneer win against Western New England, 5-4. After four scoreless innings in the day's opener, the Pioneers found their footing, plating their first run in the bottom of the fifth inning, which was due in part to Eden Resch (Stillwater, NY/Stillwater), who singled and later came around and scored on a sacrifice fly from Cassidi Mushenski (Hadley, MA/Hopkins Academy). The Pioneers would then cross the plate twice in the sixth inning, once by Candice Daigle (Lebanon, ME/Massabesic) on an error and another by Madaline Waddell, which would give the team a 3-2 lead late in the matchup. The Pioneers' lone senior, Maggie Habernig (Kingston, NY/Kingston), earned the win after pitching all seven innings, only allowing two runs on six hits, striking out six, notching her second win of the season. 

In game two, the Pioneers continued to play strongly, holding Western New England in a back-and-forth matchup to secure the sweep. The orange and blue had an early 2-0 lead in the first inning, as Meghan Paul (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland) singled and scored alongside Alexa Thompson (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) on an error. Resch scored another run in the second inning on a passed ball to make the contest 3-0. WNE later responded in the third inning with four runs to take the lead, but it was short-lived after the Pioneers answered with another Resch run after Alexis Scott (Binghamton, NY/Chenango Forks) delivered a single to center field, tying the game, 4-4. Utica regained the lead in the sixth inning thanks to some spectacular small ball, as after Waddell reached base, pinch runner Lauren Durfey (Gansevoort, NY/South Glens Falls) stole second and third before returning home after Mazur singled to first, scoring the game-winning run. 

Spring Break Recap: The Pioneers completed their spring break games this past Friday, finishing 3-7, but grabbing some momentum with a key sweep on the final day of the week-long slate. At the plate, the orange and blue combined for a batting average of .295. The Pioneers would grab 83 hits in 281 at-bats, resulting in 50 runs with 42 RBIs. From those 83 hits, 22 accounted for extra bases, with 12 doubles, nine triples, and a home run, for a total of 116 bases taken by the Pioneers throughout the week–long slate. The team has also been efficient on the basepaths, going 7-7 on stolen base attempts. The Pioneers' pitching staff allowed four or fewer runs in three of the last four matchups to close out the spring games. Additionally, Utica allowed six or fewer runs in five of its first five games. Combining for a 7.30 ERA with a 2.62 WHIP, the Pioneer staff has managed to strike out 33 opposing batters, with a .358 batting average allowed to opponents. 

Setting the Tone: The Pioneers' bats have been hot to begin the season, led by freshman Mya Strong (Hudson Falls, NY/Hudson Falls) who has powered the Pioneer offense during the opening stretch from the leadoff slot, slashing .353/.410/.765, collecting 12 hits in 34 at-bats while leading the team in runs with 13 and ranking among the leaders in total bases. Strong recorded seven extra-base hits, including five triples and a home run, and drove in seven RBIs while drawing three walks. Strong's week was highlighted by a 3-for-4 performance with two RBIs and a solo home run, launching the first home run of the season for Utica in a win over Lasell. Strong has already produced five triples on the season, accounting for 26 total bases and helping Utica produce multiple multi-run innings across the slate of games. Sophomore Meghan Paul (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland) also started all ten spring games and finished the week managing a .351 batting average with six runs on 13 hits and six RBIs. Paul's team leading 13 hits have chipped in four extra base hits with a double and three triples. Paul, alongside Strong, have accounted for almost 40 percent of the Pioneers' total bases, 30 percent of the Pioneers' total hits, and 30 percent of the team's total RBIs. Rookie Eden Resch (Stillwater, NY/Stillwater) has been contacting the ball well, with an average of .333, scoring six runs on nine hits. Resch has quickly become a statement piece in the middle of the Pioneer lineup, highlighted by a 4-6 day across a pair of games against Westminster and WNE. 

Holding the Line: The Pioneers' lone senior, Maggie Habernig (Kingston, NY/Kingston), has started strong at the start of her 2026 campaign. With five starts and six appearances through the first 10 games, Habernig dished out 112 at-bats, allowing 38 hits, 23 runs, 11 walks, and striking out 18. The lone senior posted a 4.82 ERA in 24.2 innings allowing just a .339 average to opposing batters. Sophomore Emily Lehane (Franklin Square, NY/H. Frank Carey) has appeared in five games, posting a 3.60 ERA through only 11.2 innings pitched, allowing 13 hits with nine runs and striking out four. Kari Graziano (Kinderhook, NY/Ichabod Crane) and Caroline Porter (Chittenango, NY/Chittenango) both appeared for six games and started in two. 

Engineer Examination: The RPI Engineers come into the matchup posting a 6-4 record on the season. As a team, the Engineers have combined for an average of .319 at the plate, with 69 runs from 84 hits, managing to drive in 59 RBIs. Starting all ten games for the Engineers so far this season, Callista Adorno has posted a .448 average through 29 at-bats. Adorno has put bat to ball 13 times, crossing the plate 11 times, and leads the team with a pair of home runs. Sydney Speanburg leads the team in RBIs with 12, with a .346 average through 29 plate appearances, with nine hits including four doubles, with a homer to her name. Speanburg has been patient on the plate, leading the team in walks with 12. In the circle, Ava Markert has been impressive, with a 2.57 ERA and a WHIP that has hovered around 1.0. In five starts and seven total appearances, Market has managed a 4-2 record, allowing 16 runs on 29 hits and striking out 18. Callie Volker has pitched 16.1 innings as the Engineers' primary relief option, allowing 15 runs on 15 hits and striking out 14 while walking a total of 10. The duo has allowed just a .240 average at the plate to opponents, giving up 44 hits between the two.  

Up Next: The team will continue its road trip on Wednesday, March 25, making the short drive to take on Hamilton College in the team's final non-conference doubleheader. First pitch of game one is set for 3pm, with the second game estimated to start at 5pm.