UTICA, NY - The Utica University softball team split an Empire 8 doubleheader on a windy Saturday afternoon against SUNY Brockport. The Pioneers fell to the Golden Eagles 9-6 in game one before bouncing back with a 9-1 victory in game two.

Game One: Brockport 9, Utica 6

The Pioneers put together a strong offensive showing with 13 hits, crossing the plate six times. Alexa Thompson (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) led the way with three hits, including a triple, while Kari Graziano (Kinderhook, NY/Ichabod Crane), Mya Strong (Hudson Falls, NY/Hudson Falls) and Madeline Waddell (Riverside, CA/Riverside Polytechnic) each tallied two hits. Kadyn Hartel (West Henrietta, NY/Rush Henrietta) also recorded a pair of hits and drove in a run. 

Maggie Habernig (Kingston, NY/Kingston) got the start in the circle, tossing four innings while allowing five runs on eight hits while striking out three. Emily Lehane (Franklin Square, NY/H. Frank Carey) came on in relief, pitching the final three innings, striking out a pair while allowing four runs on six hits. 

Utica jumped out to an early lead in the first inning as Thompson tripled to right field to bring home Strong, before Graziano followed with an RBI single to make it 2-0. 

After Brockport tied the game in the second, the Pioneers answered right back with a run in the bottom half on an RBI single from Meghan Paul (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland). Utica added another in the third, as Hartel drove in Waddell to extend the lead to 4-2. 

The Golden Eagles responded in the middle innings, taking the lead with a three-run fourth before adding three more in the fifth to go up 8-4. 

Utica showed resilience late, scoring twice in the sixth inning on RBI efforts from Alexis Scott (Binghamton, NY/Chenango Forks) and Eden Resch (Stillwater, NY/Stillwater) to cut the deficit to two, but Brockport added an insurance run in the seventh to secure the 9-6 win. 

Game Two: Utica 9, Brockport 1

Utica responded in a big way in game two, tallying 11 hits and scoring nine runs in a dominant victory. Eden Resch (Stillwater, NY/Stillwater) led the offense with a perfect 3-for-3 performance, scoring three times, while Lila Gray (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill) powered the lineup with five RBIs, including a three-run home run. Mya Strong (Hudson Falls, NY/Hudson Falls) added two RBIs, and Lily Mazur (Rome, NY/Westmoreland) chipped in with a hit and RBI. 

Kari Graziano (Kinderhook, NY/Ichabod Crane) delivered a complete-game effort in the circle, allowing just one run on two hits while striking out three to earn the win. 

After a scoreless first inning, the Pioneers broke through in the second. Mazur drove in the first run on a groundout before Strong doubled to center field to bring home two more, giving Utica a 3-0 lead. 

Brockport got one back in the fourth, but Utica immediately responded in the bottom half as Gray launched a three-run home run to extend the lead to 5-1 and seize momentum. 

The Pioneers continued to add on in the fifth inning, as Resch doubled in a run before Gray delivered a two-run single to push the lead to 9-1 and put the game out of reach. 

Utica (11-12, 6-3 Empire 8) returns to action on Tuesday, April 14 as the team hosts Russell Sage College for a doubleheader. First pitch of game one from Greenman Field is set for 3pm.