TROY, NY - The Utica University softball team dropped its first of two non-conference double headers in the Empire State on Saturday afternoon. The Pioneers fell by a score of 5-0 in the opener, before falling BLANK in the second contest of the afternoon.
Game One: RPI, 5 Utica, 0
A trio of Pioneers managed a hit in the contest in Meghan Paul (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland), Alexa Thompson (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy), and Eden Resch (Stillwater, NY/Stillwater), each going 1-3. Paul continued on with her massive power at the plate, recording the team's only extra base hit, knocking her fourth triple of the season.
In the circle, Maggie Habernig (Kingston, NY/Kingston) recorded her sixth start of the season, dishing out four innings, giving up seven hits and striking out a pair. Kari Graziano (Kinderhook, NY/Ichabod Crane) came in relief, pitching a pair of innings, also striking out two Engineers.
RPI struck in the bottom of the opening frame, plating a trio of runs after an RBI double, and a two RBI single.
Utica would manage to get runners into scoring position over the next three innings, but none would be able to cross the plate in an attempt to halt the Engineer momentum, but RPI would plate another pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Neither team would score for the remainder of the contest, with the Engineers holding on for the 5-0 victory over the Pioneers.
Game Two: RPI, 9 Utica, 2
Five different Pioneers registered a hit in game two, in Mya Strong (Hudson Falls, NY/Hudson Falls), Madeline Waddell (Riverside, CA/Riverside Polytechnic), Eden Resch (Stillwater, NY/Stillwater), Kari Graziano (Kinderhook, NY/Ichabod Crane), and Lila Gray (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill). Waddell and Gray each were able to drive in a run.
Three Pioneers made an appearance in the circle, starting with Caroline Porter (Chittenango, NY/Chittenango) who dished out two and two-thirds innings striking out a pair. Emily Lehane (Franklin Square, NY/H. Frank Carey) was the first to come in relief, giving up only one hit in an inning and a third of action. Kari Graziano (Kinderhook, NY/Ichabod Crane) finished the contest for the Pioneers, dishing out the final two innings.
RPI would once again strike first in the bottom of the first frame, where a walk would score the first Engineer run. Utica would take the lead in the top of the second, where a single from Gray would score Resch to tie the game. Three batters later, Waddell singled to left field that would bring Gray across for the Pioneers to take the lead 2-1.
RPI would regain the lead in the bottom of the same frame, scoring a pair. The Engineers would plate another three runs in the bottom of the third to take a 6-2 lead, and would score again in the fourth, and the final run in the bottom of the sixth, taking the 9-2 victory.
Utica (3-9, 0-0 Empire 8) returns to action on Wednesday, March 25 as the team makes the short trip to take on the Hamilton College Continentals. First pitch of game one is set for 3:00pm, while game two is estimated to start at 5:00pm.
