Utica Sweeps Hamilton; Fisher Sweeps RIT
UTICA
The Utica College softball team continued its dominance at Greenman Field as it downed local rival, Hamilton College 11-6, 9-2 in non-conference action Thursday evening.
The Pioneers are now 6-0 on their home field this season and 29-3 at Greenman in the last two years. UC improves to 11-4 on the season and it has won 11 of its last 12 games. Hamilton, meanwhile, drops to 7-16 on the year.
Senior
Meghan Matan (Latham, NY/Shaker) continued her hot streak as she went 4-for-8 with five RBI and her third home run of the season, while sophomore
Alysa Russell (Mechanicville, NY/Mechanicville) was 4-for-7 with one RBI.
Utica 11, Hamilton 6 (Game One Final)
The Continentals jumped out to a 3-0 lead after the first two innings, but a six-run third inning by the Pioneers swung the momentum in Utica's favor. Russell got things going in the third as she hit an RBI single to center field to drive in
Chelsea Monroe (Watertown, NY/General Brown). Then, Matan drove in two with a single to left that scored Russell and
Christy Traglia (Mohawk, NY/Mohawk). UC added three more runs in the top of the third as Matan,
Courtney Fitzgerald (Albany, NY/Colonie Central), and
Kassidy Ogren (Albany, NY/Colonie Central) each scored.
Utica added three more runs in the fifth inning as
Erica Colucci (Glenville, NY/Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake) drove in two runs and a single from
Taylor Ellis (Willet, NY/Greene) drove in
Cassie Smith (Delmar, NY/Bethlehem Central). Matan capped off the Utica scoring in the sixth inning as she hit her third home run in as many games.
Traglia was 3-for-4 with two runs scored, while Matan and Fitzgerald each had two hits. Colucci struck out two and gave up four earned runs in her third win of the year.
Utica 9, Hamilton 2 (Game Two Final)
Once again UC trailed after the first inning, however the bats came alive in the third as the Pioneers plated five runs to take a 5-1 lead. Russell was a perfect 3-for-3 with one walk and two runs scored to lead UC. Freshman
Meriah Beauvais (Stockbridge, NY/Stockbridge) also had an impressive outing, going 3-for-4 including her first career home run.
Matan, Smith, and Ogren each had two hits in game two, while Ellis and Traglia had one a piece.
Abby Monroe (Watertown, NY/General Brown) had four strikeouts in the complete game for her eighth win of the year.
ST. JOHN FISHER
The St. John Fisher College softball squad made quick work of host RIT Thursday in consecutive 5 inning victories. Fisher blasted six home runs on the day en route to an 8-0 victory in game one and 16-4 triumph in game two.
Game one – Fisher 8, RIT 0 (5 Innings)
Fisher opened up a 2-0 lead after the first inning.
Jessica D'Angelo reached on a throwing error and was hit around the very next batter by
Genevieve Paeglow with a double to centerfield to give Fisher a 2-0 advantage.
The runs kept coming in the second inning as Fisher added four more thanks to Megan Burns and
Lauren Owens each smacking two-run home runs to make it 6-0. It was Owens first home run of the season.
That lead would remain until the fourth inning when Owens was back at it again. After a leadoff single by
Kate Disbrow, Owens hit a 2-out homer for her second blast of the day giving Fisher the 8-0 advantage.
Burns and Owens each finished the game 2-3 from the plate with two and four RBI respectively.
Halie Schoff went the distance pitching five innings surrendering six hits while striking out three batters to improve to 6-1 on the season.
Game two – Fisher 16, RIT 4 (5 Innings)
The Cardinals started game two much as they did in the previous contest with hits right out of the gate. D'Angelo came up in the first with the bases loaded to pick up an RBI and score Burns. Fisher would add two more runs in the inning with singles from Paeglow and
Jessie Smyrski to take a 3-0 lead.
RIT scored their first run of the day in the bottom half of the first only to see Fisher regain a three run advantage in the second. Disbrow led off the inning with a triple and Burns promptly brought her in as the next batter.
In the third inning Fisher took control scoring a season-high eight runs in the frame to take a 12-3 advantage. Smyrksi was credited with the innings first RBI with a single to left center. With runners in scoring position Disbrow cashed in on a single to score Smyrski and Poules. However the major damage in the inning came behind the bat of D'Angelo who hit a three-run home run to make it 11-1. Paeglow followed up D'Angleo with a solo shot of her own to close out the inning.
After the Tigers clawed back for two runs in the bottom of the third, Burns led off the fourth inning with her second home run and the teams sixth of the day to make it 13-3. Shortly after Paeglow notched her third and fourth RBI of the day with a double to left field for a 15-3 lead.
Each team would add one more run in the game for a final score of 16-4.
D'Angelo finished with four RBI in the game, while Burns had three and Disbrow and Smyrski each drove in a pair.
Megan Keib earned the win to improve to 3-0 on the season.