Utica and Stevens Split on Final Day in Florida
UTICA
The Utica College softball team went 1-1 on the final day at the DOT Richardson Spring Games on Friday. UC defeated Worcester State University 9-0 in five innings, before falling to two-time defending National Champion Tufts University 8-2.
The Pioneers wrap up their spring training trip with a 4-6 record. UC will open up play at Greenman field on Wednesday as it hosts Skidmore College. The double-headed is slated to begin at 3:30 p.m.
Utica 9, Worcester State 0- Game One Final (5 innings)
Utica jumped out to a quick lead and never looked back as the Pioneers picked up their most lopsided victory of the season. Junior
Alysa Russell (Mechanicville, NY/Mechanicville) got the ball rolling with a lead-off home run in the top of the first to put UC up 1-0. The Pioneers added three runs in the third behind RBI singles from
Cassie Smith (Delmar, NY/Bethlehem Central) and
Courtney Fitzgerald (Albany, NY/Colonie Central).
Utica added four more runs in the fourth, led by another home run by Russell. Fitzgerald added an RBI double, while
Kassidy Ogren (Albany, NY/Colonie Central) drove in two runs.
Stephanie Siriano (Sauquoit, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherrill) capped off the scoring in the fifth with an RBI single that scored
Christy Traglia (Mohawk, NY/Mohawk).
Russell and Smith each went 3-for-4 at the plate with two RBI. Fitzgerald and freshman
Samantha Husak (Jackson, MI/Grass Lake) went 2-for-3, while Siriano (2-for-4), Ogren, and Traglia also had hits.
Abby Monroe (Watertown, NY/General Brown) had three strikeouts in four innings of work to collect her second win of the season.
Utica 2, #1 Tufts 8- Game Two Final
The nationally ranked No. 1 Tufts Jumbos proved to be too much for Utica in game two as they topped the Pioneers 8-2. UC jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first, but Tufts responded by scoring eight unanswered runs to earn the victory.
Alysa Russell (Mechanicville, NY/Mechanicville) led UC with two hits and added a stolen base as she extended her season-opening hit streak to eight games.
Morgan Ellis (Kannapolis, NC/Greene Central),
Cassie Smith (Delmar, NY/Bethlehem Central), and
Alaina Wickwire (Towanda, PA/Towanda) also had hits for UC.
Abby Monroe (Watertown, NY/General Brown) gave up eight hits in 4.1 innings of work, while
Brittany Meka (Averill Park, NY/Averill Park) allowed just one hit in nearly three innings in the circle.
STEVENS
The Stevens Institute of Technology softball team knocked off Knox College 17-5 Friday before falling to the University of Wisconsin-Superior 6-4 to close out its Florida trip.
At 9-1 the Ducks are off to their best 10 game start in program history. Knox and Wisconsin-Superior fell to 0-7 and 12-4 respectively.
Stevens 17, Knox 5
Knox came out strong with two runs in the first, but the Ducks answered in a big way with five in the bottom of the inning. With two runs already in, sophomore
Emily Sellitti scored on a wild pitch to give the Ducks the 3-2 lead. Freshman
Lauren Shirley continued the rally with a groundout RBI before freshman
Marissa Barnes doubled to score one more.
After holding Knox scoreless in the second, the Ducks started their bats once again with two in the bottom of the inning. Sophomore
Kelly Klewicki singled with nobody out to score junior
Gavriella Risman-Jones before freshman
Corinne Loncar capped the rally with an RBI infield single.
The Ducks added five more in the third off four hits, and after Knox came back with three in the fourth, Stevens put the game completely out of reach with five in the bottom of the fourth.
Freshman
Farryl Groder started the scoring with a two-run double to center, and Klewcki continued it the next at bat with an RBI single to center. Selleitti added an RBI single of her own in the next at bat before a Loncar sacrifice fly capped the rally.
Groder led the Ducks offensively with a career high four hits to go along with a pair of RBIs, while Sellitti, Klewicki and Loncar each added three RBIs.
Freshman
Cara Napolitano struck out three in four innings of work to earn her first collegiate win.
Wisconsin-Superior 6, Stevens 4
After the Ducks went down in order in the top of the first, the Yellowjackets struck first in the bottom half of the frame with a run off an RBI single.
Stevens answered in the second with an RBI single from Loncar to score sophomore
Jessica Rees before senior
Kayla Berardi ensured the lead held-up with scoreless innings in the second, third and fourth.
Looking to take a lead, Loncar and Groder led off the fifth with back-to-back singles where Risman-Jones drove Loncar in with an RBI single to center. Groder advanced to third on the play, and scored on the next at bat off a sacrifice fly from junior
Sydney Spitz.
Wisconsin came back with two in the fifth to tie the game, and after a scoreless sixth and seventh, the Ducks took a one run lead in the eighth off an RBI singles from Groder. The run proved to not be enough however as the Yellowjackets answered in the eighth with a walk-off three run homer.
Risman-Jones led the Ducks with three hits and an RBI while Berardi struck out five.
HOUGHTON
The Houghton College softball team lost both games of the doubleheader at Geneva College. Game one the Highlanders lost with the score of 5-2 and game two the highlanders lost 10-7.
In game one Geneva got on the board first scoring the first five runs of the game and taking a commanding 5-0 lead.
After the third inning
Jessica Hayner (Waterford, NY, Shenendehowa) came in and pitched three scoreless innings, only giving up one hit.
Hayner also got the Highlanders on the board in the top half of the fifth with her RBI single to left field that scored
Bailey Shattell (Syracuse, NY, Faith Heritage). Hayner would advance to second on the throw and be driven in when
Adrienne Huston (New Waterford, OH, Crestview High School) hit an infield single.
The Highlanders would be held scoreless in the sixth and seventh.
In game two the Highlanders scored in the top of the first when
Georgianna Stoj (Depew, NY, Sacred Heart Academy) hit a single to right field that scored Sarah Beirne.
The Golden Tornadoes would come back scoring eight unanswered runs in the second, third, and fourth innings to take an 8-1 lead.
The Highlanders fought back in the fifth. Stoj hit a two RBI single in the fifth that scored Huston and
Carolin Strasswimmer (Greenwich, NY, Greenwich/Adirondack CC) leaving runners at the corners. The Highlanders then executed the first and third play perfectly. Stoj was caught stealing at second, but that allowed
Adrean Tiffany(Loweville, NY, Loweville Academy) to score from third and cut the Geneva lead to just four.
In the sixth Hayner hit an RBI double that allowed Schenk to score, which left runners at second and third. Then Strasswimmer grounded out to second, but that allowed Hayner to third and brought Shattell in to score. Then Huston hit a sacrifice fly to first base, which gave Hayner enough time to score from third and make the score 8-7.
The Golden Tornadoes would add two runs in the bottom half of the sixth and the Tornadoes' pitcher would leave the Highlanders scoreless in the top of the seventh.