Alfred and UC Split; Ithaca Sweeps
ALFRED v UTICA
Utica sophomore
Erica Colucci threw her first career no-hitter to lift Utica College to a 2-0 win in the second game of an Empire 8 Conference double-header against Alfred University Monday. With the win, the Pioneers clinch the No. 4 seed in the Empire 8 Conference Tournament this weekend. Alfred won the first game of the day, 2-0, to clinch the No. 3 seed.
Alfred 2, Utica 0- Game One Final
In the opener Monday, AU scored single runs in the fourth and sixth innings, providing all the support junior pitcher
Alison Wickwire would need. Wickwire tossed a four-hit complete-game shutout, striking out six and walking one to improve to 11-4 on the season.
AU scored a run in the fourth when sophomore shortstop
Nicole Maher hit a one-out double, advanced to third on a passed ball, and scored on a sacrifice fly by sophomore
Nora Passuite. The Saxons plated another run in the sixth when Maher hit a leadoff single. She was replaced by pinch runner, junior
Alyson Hampton, who stole second, advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on an error.
Sophomore catcher
Jasmine Picini went 2-for-4 for the Saxons.
Utica 2, Alfred 0- Game Two Final
The Saxons entered the game leading the nation with a .396 team batting average; however Colucci was lights out in the circle as she had four strikeouts and allowed just three base runners to lead the Pioneers. The only runs of the game were scored in the first inning as junior
Courtney Fitzgerald crushed a 2-RBI double to right field, scoring
Chelsea Monroe and
Christy Traglia. That was all Colucci would need as she hardly let anything out of the infield.
Fitzgerald and
Kassidy Ogren were each 2-for-3, while Traglia was 2-for-4.
Chelsea Monroe,
Abby Monroe, and
Taylor Ellis also had hits for the Pioneers, and Traglia picked up her seventh stolen base of the year in the win. Katelyn Jakobsen shouldered the loss, her first of the season, for Alfred after giving up nine hits in five innings of work.
ITHACA v RPI
The Ithaca College softball team took two games from visiting Rensselaer Monday night, defeating the Engineers by a score of 3-0 in game one before winning the second contest in extra innings, 7-6. The sweep improves the Bombers' record to 21-11 overall. The losses drop Rensselaer's overall record to 20-16.
Game 1: Ithaca - 3, Rensselaer - 0
Senior
Sam Bender improved her record to 13-4 with the complete game victory in game one. She allowed just five hits and earned five strikeouts in the shutout. Senior
Julianne Vincent paced the Bombers with three hits in four at bats, including a double. She scored two runs, picked up a RBI and was credited with a stolen base.
Ithaca got on the board first, taking a 1-0 lead on two hits in the bottom of the opening frame. After a leadoff single from junior
Francesca Busa, Vincent sent a double to left center in the following at bat to bring Busa home for the first Bomber run of the day.
Ithaca doubled its lead in the bottom of the third inning. With Vincent on second, sophomore
Casey Gavin ripped a double to right center field. Casey's hit brought in another run to put the Bombers up, 2-0. A bases loaded walk gave Ithaca an insurance run in the fifth inning, putting the Bombers up by a score of 3-0.
The Engineers didn't have an answer for Bender, as she held Rensselaer off the score board to give the Bombers a 3-0 game one victory.
Game 2: Ithaca - 7, Rensselaer - 6 (9 inn.)
All three of Ithaca's pitchers saw action in the second contest. Sophomore
Allison Macari earned the victory, as she allowed just two hits and no runs in the final 2.0 innings of play. Bender started game two and allowed five hits and one earned run in the opening 2.0 innings. Sophomore
Laura Quicker pitched the middle 5.0 innings. She allowed just two earned runs and recorded one strikeout.
Busa had an exceptional day at the plate, as she went 5-for-6 with a double, a run scored and two RBI. Freshman
Jessie Fleck recorded four hits with a run scored and a RBI, while Gavin was 3-for-4 with two doubles. Vincent hit a home run in a 2-for-3 effort with two runs scored and two RBI.
The Engineers scored the game's first run on two hits in the top of the second to take the early 1-0 lead. The Bombers responded with two runs in the bottom of the frame to go up, 2-1. After earning a two-out walk, junior
Nina Lindberg stole second base to get into scoring position. Fleck singled down the right field line in the following at bat to bring Lindberg home. After Fleck stole second, Busa sent a double to right center to score the second Bomber run of the frame.
Ithaca added insurance in the bottom of the third. With runners on second and third, junior
Nicole Ciricillo sent a single down the left field line to score two more runs and give the Bombers a 4-1 lead. Ithaca continued to pile on the offense in the fourth, as Vincent hit a two-run home run to put the Bombers up by a score of 6-1.
Rensselaer chipped away offensively in the top of the fifth, as the Engineers scored two runs on two hits to cut the Bomber lead in half. Rensselaer continued to rally in the sixth. The Engineers put up three more runs on two hits in the frame to tie the score at 6-6. Neither team was able to score in the seventh, sending the game to extra innings.
With one out in the bottom of the ninth and Lindberg on first, Fleck singled to left field to put runners at first and second. Busa sent a single to right center in the following at bat, scoring Lindberg for the game winning run to give Ithaca the 7-6 victory.