Elmira & Utica Sweep: Alfred & Ithaca Split

Elmira & Utica Sweep: Alfred & Ithaca Split

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ITHACA v ALFRED
The Ithaca College softball team split a home doubleheader with Alfred Thursday evening, winning the first game by a score of 3-2 before falling in game two, 3-1. ­­The split pushes the Bombers' overall record to 19-9, with a record of 8-4 in the Empire 8. Alfred moves to 19-9 overall, including a record of 5-3 in the conference. Ithaca's conference win earned the Bombers a berth in the Empire 8 Playoffs. Home seeding will be determined after all remaining E8 teams finish their respective conference schedules.

Game 1: Ithaca 3, Alfred 2 
Sam Bender picked up the win in game one, improving her record to 12-3 on the season. Bender struck out four and allowed just five hits in the complete game effort. Junior Monica Capolongo led Ithaca offensively, going 1-for-1 with a single and two RBI. Sophomore Casey Gavin also recorded a single, going 1-for-2 with a RBI.

The Bombers scored all the runs they would need in the bottom of the first, crossing home plate three times on three hits to take the early 3-0 lead. With runners at the corners, sophomore Kelly Robichaud was hit by a pitch to load the bases. In the following at bat, Gavin hit a sacrifice fly to left field to score the first run of the inning. A wild pitch would move runners to second and third, before Capolongo hit a single into right field to score two more runs.  

The Saxons chipped away at the Bomber lead with a run in the top of the second, putting the score at 3-1 in favor of Ithaca. Alfred scored another run in the third, pulling to within one of the Bombers. Bender took care of business from that point on, holding the Saxons scoreless in the remaining innings to give the Bombers a 3-2 game one win.

Game 2: Alfred 3, Ithaca 1
Junior pitcher Alison Wickwire tossed seven solid innings, allowing an unearned run on four hits while striking out two to improve to 10-3 on the year.  Sophomore Jasmine Picini went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs in support of Wickwire. 

Alfred jumped ahead in the top of the second, scoring one run on two hits to take a 1-0 lead. The Saxons added to their lead with one run on three hits in the fourth to go up, 2-0.

Ithaca got on the board in the bottom of the sixth, scoring one run on two hits. With freshman Gabbie Litz on first and two outs, Robichaud singled to right field. A throwing error in the Saxon outfield allowed Litz to score from first and Robichaud to advance to third on the play.

Alfred added an insurance run in the top of the seventh, giving the Saxons a 3-1 lead in the final inning. The Bombers were unable to score in the bottom of the frame, giving the Saxons a 3-1 win in the second game of the doubleheader.


UTICA v HOUGHTON
The Utica College softball team outscored visiting Houghton College 18-0 over the course of two games as the Pioneers swept the Highlanders in two run-rule shortened contests on Thursday afternoon at Greenman Field.  The Pioneers won game one 10-0 in five innings, before topping the visitors 8-0 in five innings in game two. 

Utica senior second baseman Chelsea Monroe went 4-for-5 with four runs scored and two doubles over the course of the two games.  Senior third baseman Meghan Matan went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and one RBI, while sophomore shortstop Alysa Russell added two hits, three RBIs, two runs scored and her team-best fifth home run of the season. Sophomore Taylor Ellis  also registered her second career home run (first of the year).

The Pioneers improved to 9-1 at home this season and they are now 19-8 overall. Utica is currently ranked fifth in the latest release of the NCAA North East regional rankings.  Houghton is now 1-28 overall.

Matan currently leads UC with a .500 batting average and she has a team-high 43 hits this season. Chelsea Monroe raised her season average to .348 on the year and she has scored a team-best 30 runs. 

Utica 10, Houghton 0 (5 innings) – Game One Final
Utica sophomore pitcher Erica Colucci pitched all five innings of shutout ball and struck out seven to guide the Pioneers to a convincing 10-0 win in game one. Colucci improved her overall record to 7-3 on the year. 

Eight of the Pioneers nine hitters tallied at least one hit in game one and they were led by a 2-for-3 effort from the bat of Taylor Ellis. 

The Pioneers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning after Cassie Smith hit a two-RBI single, scoring Christy Traglia and Monroe.  In the bottom of the second, Traglia singled to right field, scoring Taylor Ellis and freshman Shannon Fillmore to give UC a 4-0 lead. 

Freshman catcher Kassidy Ogren got the third inning started with an RBI single and Ellis closed out the four-run stanza with a three run home run to give UC an 8-0 lead after three.

UC tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to secure the victory.

Utica 8, Houghton 0 (5 inn.) – Game Two Final
Utica posted 11 hits and sophomore hurler Abby Monroe threw a one-hitter, while striking out eight batters, as the Pioneers cruised to an 8-0 run-rule victory in game two. Chelsea Monroe went 3-for-3 with three runs scored in game two, while Alysa Russell hit a two-run homer to help lift the Pioneers.

Seven different Pioneers had at least one hit and five players had at least one RBI in the victory.

Traglia and Matan each posted RBI's in the bottom of the first inning for UC and Russell's second inning home run gave the home squad a commanding 5-0 lead.  The Pioneers tacked on four more runs in the fourth inning, including an RBI double from Courtney Fitzgerald, as Utica cruised to the eight run victory.


ELMIRA v RPI
Just one week ago, the Elmira College softball team (12-12, 4-6 E8) found themselves in a challenging situation. They had just been swept by Nazareth College at home to push their overall record to 4-10 and their bats had essentially gone quiet. Fast forward a week and EC has new life. The Purple and Gold have won eight out of their last 10 games to get back to .500 on the season and extended their winning streak to four after a pair of non-conference wins over Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute (16-14) this afternoon. EC took game one 3-2 in eight innings and then shut-out the Engineers 6-0 in the nightcap.
 
Elmira's offense has really picked up as of late and that trend continued this afternoon with Megan Anderson '15, Katie Dore '15, and Emily Carlin '16 leading the charge. Anderson extended her hitting streak to a career-high 12 games, going a combined 4-8 with three runs batted in (RBI). Dore was just 2-7 on the day, but she drew two walks, scored three runs, and added a stolen base for good measure. Carlin continued her strong rookie season, going 4-6 in the two games with one home run and four RBI.
 
EC's two-headed monster in the pitcher's circle continued their strong play against the Engineers. Alex Puglisi'14 pitched all eight innings of game one, allowing one earned run while striking out five batters. She scattered eight hits, but only one, a double, was for extra bases. Emilie Rogers'14 started game two and earned the complete-game shutout. Rogers allowed just three base runners all game, two singles and a walk, and struck out six batters to raise her season strikeout total to 74.


NAZARETH v Cortland
Host Nazareth fell to Cortland in a pair of non-conference softball games on Thursday afternoon. The Red Dragons held off the Golden Flyers in game one, 6-5, before blanking Nazareth, 9-0, in game two. Senior Sarah Cipperly, junior Sophia Rhoades, and sophomore Maureen Rogers each had a pair of hits and a run scored for the Golden Flyers in the opening game.

Following the losses, Nazareth falls to 8-16 overall. With the victories, Cortland improves to 23-13 overall. Including Thursday's wins, the Red Dragons have won 10 of their last 11 contests.

In game one, the Golden Flyers held a 3-2 edge before Cortland scored four runs between the third and fourth innings to reclaim the lead. Nazareth answered with a pair of runs in the fifth inning, but the Golden Flyers were unable to push the game-tying runner across the plate in the final innings. The key to the Red Dragons' fourth inning was a one-out, two-run RBI double by Jamie Bucci. Bucci scored the eventual game-winning run on Meaghan Kohler's single to left.

Sophomore Carly Pike began the fifth inning at second following fielding and throwing errors by Cortland's pitcher. Rhoades followed with an RBI double to score Pike, then scored moments later following a throwing error at second base as pitch-runner Emily Beckley stole second. The throw from catcher, Briana Barca, was cut off by the second baseman, Rosie Phillips, but Phillips' throw to shortstop Erin Wolstenholme, who was covering second, was off the mark, which allowed Rhoades to score. Beckley advanced to third on the play after Barca's throw to third was low after Rhoades beat the throw home. Beckley, however, was stranded as freshman Meghan Barry struck out to end the inning.

In the bottom of the sixth and seventh innings, the Golden Flyers had runners on base, too. After Rogers' one-out single in the sixth, she advanced to second on Cipperly's ground out. Similar to the fifth inning, Cortland pitcher Alexandrea Flint got out of the inning again by stiking out the Nazareth batter. Pike was Flint's sixth-inning victim. Rhoades opened the seventh with a single, but was erased by a six-four-three double play. The Red Dragons' Sarah Salamone earned the save by forcing freshman Nicole White to ground out to end the game.

Freshman Mary Greco took the loss for Nazareth, allowing six runs (three earned) and scattering seven hits in four innings. Greco is 2-2 on the season. Classmate Nicole White pitched the final three innings and held Cortland hitless but allowed three walks. Amber Corrigan earned the win to improve to 4-5 on the season. She allowed three runs (one earned) on four hits in four innings. Flint pitched the sixth and seventh innings, allowing two unearned runs on three hits, before Salamone's one-hit seventh inning.

After giving up a pair of Red Dragon runs in the top of the first, the Golden Flyers responded with trio of runs in the bottom half. Sophomore Morgan Ross and Rogers took second and third, respectively, following a wild pitch and Cortland error. After Ross scored on another wild pitch, Cipperly followed with a single to left to score Rogers. Cipperly eventually scored on an outfield error on a ball hit by Rhoades.

In game two, Cortland took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first then scored four runs in both the third and fifth innings to pull away. Nazareth's offense was held to four hits, and the Golden Flyers baserunners were unable to advance past second base. Freshman Sarah Papponetti reached second in the first inning after drawing a walk then moving to second on a single by Cipperly. Salamone avoided damage by striking out Pike to end the threat. Sophomore Danae Wetherbee, Ross, and Cipperly each had hits in the second, third, and fourth, innings, respectively. Wetherbee and Ross were each left at first while Cipperly was stranded at second following a lead-off double.

Salamone took the win to improve to 11-2 overall on the season while Wetherbee fell to 3-6 overall with the loss. Salamone allowed all four of Nazareth hits in four innings pitched, and she recorded a pair of strikeouts. Jamie Lachall pitched a perfect fifth inning in relief. Wetherbee was tagged for eight hits and five runs allowed in three innings. Junior Nicole Bayona pitched the final two innings and allowed two hits and four unearned runs and had one strikeout.


E8 Standings
SCHOOL CONF OVERALL
Ithaca 8-4 19-9
Alfred 5-3 22-6
Stevens 6-4 25-9
Utica 4-4 19-8
St. John Fisher 4-6 19-11
Elmira 4-6 12-12
Nazareth 3-7 8-16
Houghton 0-0 1-29
Houghton is an NCAA provisional member and games against the Highlanders will not impact conference records/standings.