Pioneers, Golden Flyers and Soaring Eagles Split Double-Headers
Saxons Sweep Knights
Utica 12, Nazareth 0
Senior
Meghan Matan hit a three-run home run in the first inning and the Pioneers never looked back as they cruised to a 12-0 run-rule victory in five innings. Utica added two more runs in the second inning as
Chelsea Monroe scored on a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly from Matan brought home
Christy Traglia.
UC added seven more runs in the next three innings to seal the victory. Ogren blasted her second home run of the season, a three-run shot to put the Pioneers up 12-0. Sophomore
Abby Monroe threw a one-hit shutout for her tenth victory of the season.
Utica 1, Nazareth 2
The second game of the day was a pitcher's duel as the game remained scoreless through three full innings. Utica tied game two with a solo homer in the top of the seventh, Nazareth sophomore
Carly Pike answered with a game-winning, one-out, walk-off homerun to left field in the bottom half to earn the Golden Flyers' victory.
The Golden Flyers broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth. Senior
Kailey Ritch began the inning with a single, then advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore
Maureen Rogers. Senior
Sarah Cipperly reached on an infield error, which pushed Ritch to third. Pike scored Ritch on a fielder's choice as she hit a sharp grounder toward the center of the infield. Utica collected the out at second but was unable to complete the double play to prevent Ritch from scoring.
The game remained 1-0 until Chelsea Monroe's one-out, solo homer to center field in the top of the seventh. The tie game was short lived, however, as Pike collected her third homerun of the season to win the game in the bottom of the seventh.
Junior
Nicole Bayona improved to 2-1 on the season with the victory. Bayona struck out four batters and scattered six hits in her seven innings. Utica's Abby Monroe took the loss. She struck out four batters and held Nazareth to three hits.
Bayona escaped the first inning without allowing any runs by striking out Taylor Ellis with the bases loaded. The Pioneers also had runners on second and third in the top of the second before Bayona recorded the final two outs on a fly ball and grounder. In the top of the fourth inning, Bayona forced a pair of infield pop-ups to Ritch and Pike after Utica advanced runners to second and third.
Alfred v Geneseo
The Alfred University softball team took two games from host SUNY Geneseo in a non-conference doubleheader Monday afternoon.
Sophomore catcher
Jasmine Picini hit a solo homerun in the fifth inning to break a 2-2 tie and AU pulled away with a four-run seventh inning to take the opener, 7-3. In the second game, the Saxons scored five unearned runs in the sixth to erase a one-run deficit en route to an 8-4 victory. With the sweep, AU improves to 21-5 overall.
Junior pitcher
Alison Wickwire pitched a solid game in the opener and improved to 9-2 on the season. She allowed three runs (two earned) on eight hits, striking out three.
Picini finished 3-for-4 and sophomore shortstop
Nicole Maher (Newark, DE/Caravel Academy) was 3-for-5 with two RBIs and a run scored to pace the Saxon offense. Sophomore second baseman
Dana Torchia and senior outfielder
Samijo Scheer each scored two runs.
In the nightcap, AU scored singles runs in each of the first three innings but found itself down by a run, 4-3, after four. After a scoreless fifth, AU sent 10 batters to the plate and plated five runs to close out the scoring. Freshman third baseman
Liz Thompson belted a two-run single in the inning, and Maher drove in a run with a base hit.
Senior outfielder
Stephanie Arguello and sophomore Nora Pasuite each scored two runs for the Saxons; Torchia was 2-for-5 with two RBIs and a run scored; and Maher and Scheer each drove in a run.
Freshman pitcher
Sophia Chiavatti earned the complete game win for AU to improve to 3-2. She allowed four runs, all earned, on 11 hits while striking out three.
Elmira v St. Lawrence
The Elmira College softball team (8-12, 2-6 E8) split a non-conference doubleheader with St. Lawrence University (8-17) in the Purple and Gold's Class of 2014 Recognition day. The EC women won the first game 1-0 in nine innings, but fell in the nightcap, 4-1 in eight innings.
Megan Anderson '15 batted in both of EC's runs today, including a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth inning of game one.
Alex Puglisi '14 pitched all nine innings of the first game, striking out four batters and allowing one hit while
Emilie Rogers '14 tossed all eight innings of the latter game, striking out eight batters.
Game One Recap
It was a classic pitcher's duel in the first game as both teams struggled to put runners in scoring position for the first seven innings of play. The Soaring Eagles and the Saints only recorded one hit a piece through the first seven innings.
In the bottom of the eighth,
Julianne Heggie '16 was placed on second base to start the inning.
Katie Day '16 laid down the sacrifice bunt to send Heggie over to third base. With two outs,
Katie Dore '15 walked to first base and proceeded to take second base. With runners on second and third base and two outs,
Emily Carlin '17 was sent in to pinch hit to try and attempt a walk-off hit. With two strikes, Carlin was retired by the Saints pitcher, and the game was sent to the top of the ninth inning.
In the top of the ninth, with one out, St. Lawrence had a runner on third and called a squeeze play, intending to send the runner home to take a 1-0 lead. The EC women were able to read the situation as Puglisi collected the ball and threw it to
Gillian Gravel '14 who tagged the runner out at home, preserving a tied game. The Soaring Eagles closed the inning when the next batter lined the ball right at Dore, who was able to easily catch the ball for the final out of the inning.
With
Jacquelyn Heggie '16 on second to start the bottom of the ninth,
Ashley Palmer '16 laid down the sacrifice bunt to the third basemen to advance Heggie to third. Anderson then stepped up to bat where she hit the first pitch she saw up the middle to score Heggie, giving the Purple and Gold the 1-0 win.
Game Two Recap
The Soaring Eagles found the scoreboard first in the bottom of the third inning. Dore got the inning started as she doubled into the gap in right center field.
Mikayla Bean '14 advanced to first after a walk, giving way to Anderson who drove the ball through the left side of the infield, allowing Dore to score.
Just three outs away from sweeping the Saints in the top of the seventh, St. Lawrence tied the game with a solo homerun over the right center field wall. EC regrouped and closed out the inning without giving up any more runs.
Elmira tried to get a rally going in the bottom of the seventh and with one out Gravel took first base after a walk. Heggie stepped up to the plate attempted the sacrifice bunt, but was called out due to a batter's interference call. With two outs, Carlin was sent in to pinch hit and walked to first base as well. With Gravel on second base and Bupp in to pinch run for Carlin, Dore looked to start a rally and belted the ball deep into center field, but the Saints' centerfielder was able to make a play and caught the ball to end the inning.
The Saints took advantage of a few hits in the top of the eighth inning to take a 4-1 lead over the EC women. The Purple and Gold were unable to mount a comeback in the bottom of the eighth as the Soaring Eagles fell, 4-1.