Utica Sets School Record with 6-1 Win over Elmira

5/4/2013 12:54:59 PM

The top-seeded Utica College softball team advanced to the finals of the Empire 8 Conference softball tournament after a convincing 6-1 victory over second seeded Elmira College on Saturday morning at Greenman Field.  The Pioneers, who broke the school-record with 32 victories so far this year, will now take on St. John Fisher College in the finals at 1 p.m. UC is making its second conference tournament finals appearance in program-history. 

UC freshman pitcher Abby Monroe won her second game of the tournament as she scattered seven hits over the course of the complete game.  Monroe has yet to allow an earned run this weekend. 

The Pioneers opened the scoring in the bottom half of the second inning when sophomore center fielder Christy Traglia ripped a two-RBI single, scoring Alysa Russell and Mallory Ingalls to put the Pioneers on top 2-0.  Traglia finished the day going 2-for-3 with two RBIs and one run scored, while Russell went 1-for-3 with one run scored. 

Elmira cut the deficit to one in the top of the fourth innings as they loaded the bases with no outs and scored on an UC error. Mikayla Bean singled to left field and then Alex Andrade and Ashley Palmer had back-to-back single bunts to set the stage for Puglisi who hit ball up the middle but the secondbaseman miss handled the ball to allow all runners to advance. 

UC responded in the bottom half with three runs to essentially seal the victory. Cassie Smith started the Pioneer rally with an RBI single to score Dominque Carcone, before Chelsea Monroe doubled to left field, scoring two, to put the Pioneers on top by four, 5-1.  Carcone went 2-for-3 with one run scored and she is now 5-for-9 with three runs scored in the tournament.  Monroe finished the day going 1-for-4 with two RBIs. 

Palmer led the Soaring Eagles with two hits. Junior pitcher Alex Puglisi pitched all six innings for the visitors and struck out two.  Puglisi pitched every inning of the tournament for Elmira (28 Inn.)

UC added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth inning to secure their first Empire 8 Tournament final appearance since 2006 when they squared off against Ithaca College.