Courtney Fitzgerald was 2-4 at the plate with an RBI and two runs scored.
Utica Stays Alive with 5-2 Win; Stevens Eliminated
Box Score
Utica College posted a 5-2 win against Stevens Institute of Technology to stay alive in the Empire 8 Softball Tournament. Utica will face the loser of the Ithaca/Alfred game on Saturday at 11am. Stevens falls to 27-11 on the season and has been eliminated from the tournament.
Both teams traded zeroes in the first, but Utica broke-through in the second. With the bases loaded and two outs, Stevens' junior Jamie DeGennaro threw a pick-off over third that allowed the Courtney Fitzgerald to score. Fitzgerald doubled to left center and then advanced to third on a single by Meghan Matan. Abby Monroe was hit by a pitch to load the bases to set up score on the throwing error.
Stevens senior Kayla Berardi induced a ground-ball out from the next batter to escape further trouble.
Stevens was held scoreless in their half of the third before Utica rallied again for three in the third off RBI hits from sophomore Alyssa Russell, junior Courtney Fitzgerald, and freshman Kassidy Ogren. Utica threatened for more in the fourth with runners at second and third with one out, but Berardi induced back-to-back fly-balls to end the inning.
A scoreless fourth gave-way to another Utica rally in the fifth where Ogren singled-home senior Meghan Matan to extend the lead to 5-0. DeGennaro answered with a lead-off double in the sixth, but freshman pinch-runner
Gina Schnecker was thrown out trying to advance to third on a ground-ball, and the Ducks went scoreless in the inning.
The Ducks rallied in the seventh when Kelly Klewicki singled to lead-off followed by a triple from sophomore
Sydney Spitz. Noelle Mulligan drove-in one more with a single up the middle, but Monroe entered the circle on relief was able to close the door on the win with a ground-ball-out off Gavriella Risman-Jones' bat.
Sophomore Erica Colucci earned the win, allowing seven hits in six innings of work while striking out two batters.