Utica Sweeps; Splits for Fisher, Ithaca, Houghton and Elmira
UTICA v NAZARETH
The Utica College softball team snapped a six-game skid as it combined for 18 runs over the course of two wins against visiting Nazareth College in Empire 8 Conference action Saturday afternoon. UC topped the Golden Flyers 3-0 in the first game, before cruising to a 15-1 run-rule victory in game two.
Utica 3, Nazareth 0
Freshman
Brittany Meka (Averill Park, NY/Averill Park) allowed just two hits in the complete game shutout as she moves her record to 3-3 on the season. After three scoreless innings, the Pioneers broke the deadlock as senior
Christy Traglia (Mohawk, NY/Mohawk) singled to left field to score
Sabrina Stransky (Miller Place, NY/Miller Place). Utica added some insurance in the bottom of the sixth as
Alysa Russell (Mechanicville, NY/Mechanicville) hit a stand up double to right field to score freshmen
Dominique Soto (Miller Place, NY/Miller Place) and
Madison Williams (Prospect, NY/Holland Patent).
Stransky and Traglia were each 2-for-3, while Russell,
Stephanie Siriano (Sauquoit, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherrill), and
Courtney Fitzgerald (Albany, NY/Colonie Central) each had one hit. Meka struck out three and allowed just three base runners in the game to lead Utica. She received some help in the top of the seventh as Siriano made a highlight real catch while flipping over the left field wall to rob a two-run homerun.
Christy Traglia (Mohawk, NY/Mohawk) and
Kimberly Beattie (Levitton, NY/Division Ave) each had one stolen base. Traglia now needs just one more steal to tie Laura Meagher '06 for the most all-time at UC. Nazareth's Nicole Bayona had one strikeout and gave up seven hits in the loss.
Utica 15, Nazareth 1 (5 Inn.)
Nine different players recorded at least one hit as the Pioneers picked up their 12
th win of the season. Utica jumped out to a quick start as it plated five runs in the bottom of the first inning and extended the lead to a commanding 8-0 ledger before the Golden Flyers were able to get one run across in the top of the fourth. Utica responded in the bottom of the inning by scoring seven runs on eight hits to put the game out of reach.
Alysa Russell (Mechanicville, NY/Mechanicville),
Samantha Whitehouse (Greenwich, NY/Greenwich), and
Dominique Soto (Miller Place, NY/Miller Place) were each 3-for-3, with Whitehouse driving in a game-high three runs.
Samantha Husak (Jackson, MI/Grass Lake) was 2-for-2 with two RBI, while
Courtney Fitzgerald (Albany, NY/Colonie Central),
Stephanie Siriano (Sauquoit, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherrill),
Madison Williams (Prospect, NY/Holland Patent),
Samantha Sanky (Merrick, NY/Calhoun), and
Christy Traglia (Mohawk, NY/Mohawk) each had one hit. Russell also added a team-high two stolen bases, while Soto had one steal.
Junior
Abby Monroe (Watertown, NY/General Brown) fanned eight and allowed just three hits as she won her sixth game of the year. She now has 37 career wins, which ties Erin Hinrichs '02 for first on the College's all-time list.
The Elmira College softball team (4-8, 1-7 Empire 8) split a pair of one-run Empire 8 Conference games with visiting Houghton College (3-22, 1-7 Empire 8) this afternoon. Elmira won the opening game of today's doubleheader as the Soaring Eagles held off a late Highlander surge for an 8-7 victory, before seeing a late-inning rally fall short in game two as Houghton claimed a 5-4 win.
Elmira will be back in action tomorrow, April 19th, when the Soaring Eagles host Hilbert College in a non-conference doubleheader. The first of two games is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. at Eldridge Park Stadium in Elmira, NY.
Elmira 8, Houghton 7
Elmira saw their leadoff batter,
Jacquelyn Heggie '16, begin the game by striking out but a misplayed ball by the Houghton catcher allowed Heggie to reach first base safely. On the same play, Heggie would utilize her speed to reach second base and eventually make her way to third thanks to an errant throw to second base by the Houghton pitcher.
Julianne Heggie '16 would step-up to the plate next and drive-in her sister to give the Soaring Eagles a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning.
Houghton evened the score in the top half of the second inning on a Jessica Hayner RBI single. The score remained 1-1 until the bottom of the third inning when Elmira's offense exploded for six runs to take a commanding 7-1 lead.
Kennedy Harper '18 began Elmira's six-run inning by working a walk before stealing second base. For the second time in today's game
Jacquelyn Heggie would reach safely after striking out, putting runners on the corners as Harper advanced to third.
Julianne Heggie would deliver her second RBI of the game as she fooled the Houghton defense by laying down a bunt single that brought-in Kennedy from third.
Elmira's next batter,
Ashley Palmer '16, continued to move EC's runners as her infield single brought home another run, putting the Soaring Eagles in front 3-1.
With runners on first and second, Coach
Rhonda Faunce signaled for a double-steal and would see both Heggie and Palmer steal their respective bases to put runners on second and third for
Emily Carlin '17. From there Carlin, EC's most lethal hitter, would do something no one was expecting as she laid-down a bunt. Neither Heggie nor Palmer would advance, but the miscommunication in Houghton's infield allowed Carlin to reach first safely, loading the bases for
Katie Day '16.
Day would deliver an RBI single to left field on her at-bat, scoring Heggie from third to give the Purple and Gold a 4-1 lead. Shortly after, a Houghton wild pitch allowed for each of Elmira's three runners to advance a base, including Palmer who crossed home plate to push Elmira's lead to 5-1.
Chelsea Storch '18 would make it 6-1 as her sacrifice fly drove-in Carlin from third base. Storch's RBI sacrifice fly was followed up by a
Hannah Lundgren '18 grounded that scored Day from third, putting EC way out in front, 7-1.
Houghton would get one back in the top of the fourth inning but so would Elmira in the bottom of the sixth as
Jacquelyn Heggie's one-out single scored
Marisa Bernardi '18, putting Elmira on top 8-2.
In the top of the seventh, Houghton would register six of their game's 11 hits and score five runs, cutting Elmira's lead to 8-7. However, on the hit that drove-in Houghton's fifth run, Morgan York tried to stretch a double into a triple, a move that would prove to be costly as York was thrown out at third. Ending Houghton's comeback was Heggie who fired the ball from center field to Palmer, who quickly threw it over to Storch, who would make the tag for the final out of the game.
Bernardi would be credited with the win in game one as she came in for relief duty in the fourth inning. She allowed six runs, five of which were earned, and struck out one batter. For Bernardi, today's win is the first of her collegiate career.
Houghton 5, Elmira 4
In game two the Highlanders put up a crooked number in the top of the first. Huston led things off with a single, and then
Adrean Tiffany (Loweville, NY, Loweville Academy) worked a walk bringing up York again. York roped a single up the middle that scored Huston from second. Beirne followed that up with another single up the middle that scored Stoj. The Highlanders added on two more later in the inning and took a 5-0 lead.
After three scoreless innings the Soaring Eagles finally got on the board in the fifth and sixth innings scoring four runs and making the score 5-4 heading into the seventh.
After the Highanders failed to score any insurance runs the Highlanders were one out away from their first Empire 8 win when an Elmira batter singled up the middle. Then the Soaring Eagles brought in Harper to pinch run who stole second and third putting a runner at third base with two outs in the bottom of the second, but York struck out the Elmira batter to end the game.
Hayner earned the win for the Highlanders and York picked up her first save of the year. Condidorio was handed the loss for the Soaring Eagles.
Fisher 2, Ithaca 0
Lauren Owens recorded the two RBI on a single and a double to help Fisher earn the 2-0 win in Game 1.
In the top of the first inning,
Katie Mazierski jumpstarted the offense with a single to the shortstop.
Jennifer Knaak laid down a sacrifice bunt and reached first base thanks to an error by the pitcher.
Meghan Burns then successfully put down another bunt to move both runners into scoring position and set Owens up for her RBI-single.
The Cardinals added their second run in the third inning when Mazierski once again singled to the shortstop and advanced to second base on another Knaak sacrifice bunt. Mazierski, now on third after a Burns groundout to shortstop, scored when Owens doubled to right field.
Mazierski and Owens each finished with two hits. Mazierski added two runs and two walks.
Karlie Neale and
Danielle Ventrone each added a hit to round out Fisher's offense.
Lindsey Thayer recorded her 10th shutout of her career from the circle. In a complete-game effort, the freshman scattered five hits and three walks with 11 strikeouts.
Ithaca – 5, Fisher – 4 (11 innings)
Junior pitcher
Allison Macari started the second contest. She gave up three earned runs on six hits in 4.0 innings, while also picking up three strikeouts. Quicker pitched 7.0 innings in relief and was credited with the victory after holding the Cardinals to just two hits over that span. She also recorded four strikeouts.
Gavin once again paced the Bombers offensively with a double on three hits in five at-bats. She led Ithaca with three RBI. Classmate
Kelly Robichaud also recorded multiple hits, going 2-for-5 with a pair of singles.
The Bombers scored the game's first runs in the bottom of the opening frame, coming on two hits and a Cardinal error. RBI singles from Gavin and Capolongo accounted for the scoring, putting Ithaca up by a score of 2-0.
St. John Fisher answered back in the top of the fourth, scoring two runs on three hits to tie the contest at 2-2. The Cardinals' momentum carried into the top of the fifth, as they scored one run on two hits to take the 3-2 lead.
The Bombers responded immediately with a run of their own in the bottom of the frame. With a runner at second and one out, Gavin crushed a double to center field, bringing home her third run of the game and tying the score at 3-3.
Neither team was able to score again over the next two innings, sending the game to extras. Scoreless softball carried into the top of the 10th, where the international tie-breaker rule was put into place. Both teams scored once in the 10th, pushing the score to 4-4. The Cardinals were stymied in the top of the 11th, giving the Bombers an opportunity end the game with a single run.
With pinch-runner
Tara Condon placed on second, freshman
Emily Bloom placed a perfect sacrifice bunt to move the runner over to third. Ciricillo sent a shot to the outfield in the following at-bat, where it was caught by the Cardinal right fielder. Condon advanced home on the play, scoring the game-winning run on a play at the plate to give Ciricillo the sacrifice fly and Ithaca the 5-4 victory.
|
SCHOOL |
CONF |
OVERALL |
|
Alfred |
6-0 |
24-2 |
|
Ithaca |
7-3 |
13-11 |
|
St. John Fisher |
5-3 |
21-9 |
|
Stevens |
5-3 |
19-6-1 |
|
Utica |
4-4 |
12-12 |
|
Nazareth |
3-5 |
10-12 |
|
Elmira |
1-7 |
4-8 |
|
Houghton |
1-7 |
3-22 |