UTICA, NY – The Utica University softball team split a cross-town doubleheader against SUNY Poly on Tuesday afternoon. The Pioneers dropped game one, 7-4, before bouncing back with a 1-0 shutout victory in game two.
Game One: SUNY Poly 7, Utica 4
Alexa Thompson (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) led the Pioneers at the plate with a 2-for-4 performance, driving in a run and doubling, while Kari Graziano (Kinderhook, NY/Ichabod Crane) also collected two hits. Meghan Paul (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland) and Eden Resch (Stillwater, NY/Stillwater) each added an RBI, and Mya Strong (Hudson Falls, NY/Hudson Falls) and Kadyn Hartel (West Henrietta, NY/Rush Henrietta) both scored as Utica totaled eight hits in the contest.
Maggie Habernig (Kingston, NY/Kingston) got the start in the circle, working five innings and allowing two runs while striking out three. Caroline Porter (Chittenango, NY/Chittenango) came on in relief for the sixth inning as SUNY Poly's offense surged late to secure the win.
Utica broke through in the fourth inning, as Thompson doubled and later came around to score on Resch's RBI single to take a 1-0 lead.
The Pioneers added another in the fifth, capitalizing on a SUNY Poly error to extend the advantage to 2-1. The Wildcats responded in the bottom half with a three-run inning to take control, then added three more in the sixth.
Utica mounted a late push in the seventh, as Paul delivered an RBI single and Thompson followed with another run-scoring hit, but the comeback fell short.
Game Two: Utica 1, SUNY Poly 0
Alexa Thompson (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) once again paced the offense, going 1-for-3 with a double and scoring the game's lone run. Lila Gray (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill) added a double, while Kari Graziano (Kinderhook, NY/Ichabod Crane) and Eden Resch (Stillwater, NY/Stillwater) each recorded a hit as the Pioneers totaled four hits.
In the circle, Kari Graziano (Kinderhook, NY/Ichabod Crane) was dominant, tossing a complete-game shutout while allowing just two hits and striking out four. Graziano controlled the game throughout and worked out of late pressure to seal the 1-0 win.
Utica plated the only run in the second inning, as Thompson doubled and moved to third before scoring on a sacrifice fly from Madeline Waddell (Riverside, CA/Riverside Polytechnic).
From there, both teams were locked in a pitcher's duel, with limited scoring chances on either side.
SUNY Poly threatened in the seventh with a runner reaching third, but the Pioneers held firm to preserve the shutout victory.
Utica (14-15, 9-6 Empire 8) returns to action tomorrow, April 22 as the team travels to Oneonta, NY to finish the remainder of a contest against the Hartwick Hawks that was abandoned due to weather. Restart time is set for 5pm, where Hartwick leads 3-2 in the bottom of the third inning.
