Utica Sweeps Hamilton; Fisher Sweeps Medaille
UTICA
The Utica College softball team picked up two one run victories over visiting Hamilton College in the home opener at Greenman Field on Tuesday afternoon. The Pioneers won game one 6-5 in eight innings and came back with a 3-2 victory in the nightcap.
Senior centerfielder
Stephanie Siriano (Sauquoit, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherrill) drove in the game-winning run in both games to pace the Pioneers. Siriano finished the day going 3-for-6 with six RBIs, two runs scored, and one home run.
The Pioneers have now won four games in a row and improved to 8-6 overall on the season. Hamilton's record is now 8-11 overall. Utica has won 11 straight meetings against the Continentals dating back to 2010.
Utica junior infielder
Alysa Russell (Mechanicville, NY/Mechanicville) went 4-for-7 with four runs scored on the day while freshman pitcher
Sabrina Stransky (Miller Place, NY/Miller Place) picked up her first collegiate win, pitching a complete game, and allowing just two runs in the game two victory. Freshman
Dominique Soto (Miller Place, NY/Miller Place) added a 2-for-5 day with one run scored for Utica.
Hamilton was led by Olivia Gozdz who registered a 5-for-9 effort at the plate to go along with three RBIs and two runs scored. Hannah Staab went 4-for-8 at the plate with two runs, one RBI and one home run for the Continentals.
Game One – Utica 6, Hamilton 5 (8 innings)
The Pioneers won game one, 6-5, in eight innings. Siriano was 1-for-3 with three RBIs to pace the Pioneers to the one run victory.
Siriano gave UC a 3-1 lead after a bases loaded single scored two in the bottom of the sixth inning. Hamilton rallied from a 5-1 deficit in the top of the seventh to send the contest into extra innings tied up at 5-5. Siriano then hit a game-winning sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth inning. With
Alysa Russell (Mechanicville, NY/Mechanicville) on second, Siriano hit a deep fly ball towards the left field foul line, which was caught by the Hamilton left fielder Hannah Stabb who then crashed into the foul territory fence down the left field line. Russell tagged up and was able to score from second base to hand the Pioneers the walk off victory.
Stabb gave Hamilton a 1-0 lead in the top half of the third inning when she hit a towering home run to right field. Hamilton senior pitcher Kelly Leonard had a perfect game through five innings until the Pioneers exploded with five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Utica senior
Christy Traglia (Mohawk, NY/Mohawk) tied the game up at 1-1 when she registered a bases loaded walk. Siriano then followed with her single to score two more for Utica.
Cassie Smith (Delmar, NY/Bethlehem Central) then drove in Traglia to give UC a 4-1 lead and a Sirano eventually scored on a double steal to give the Pioneers a 5-1 lead.
Hamilton answered with four runs in the top of the seventh behind a bases loaded double by junior Olivia Gozdz and the Continentals then took advantage of a throwing error to knot the score at 5-5.
Utica's
Abby Monroe (Watertown, NY/General Brown) pitched 6.1 innings and struck out six until being relieved by
Alaina Wickwire (Towanda, PA/Towanda). Wickwire came on and eventually earned the victory. Leonard struck out seven on the mound for the Continentals in a complete game showing.
Game Two – Utica 3, Hamilton 2
Utica earned a 3-2 victory in game two behind a combined 5-for-6 effort at the dish by Russell and Siriano. UC also received a stellar performance in the circle from freshman pitcher
Sabrina Stransky (Miller Place, NY/Miller Place).
Siriano got things going for UC with her second home run of the season to hand the Pioneers an early 2-0 lead in the first inning. Hamilton answered in the third inning when Olivia Gozdz and Ellie Kiernan both posted RBI doubles to knot the score at 2-2.
Siriano then hit an RBI single, scoring Russell again, to give the Pioneers a 3-2 lead in the bottom half of the fifth inning.
Stransky and the Pioneers were able to hang on to the one run lead to secure the victory.
Alex Deyo (Schenectady, NY/Colonie Central) went 1-for-1 in game two while
Kassidy Ogren (Albany, NY/Colonie Central) added a 1-for-3 effort for the Pioneers.
ST. JOHN FISHER
The St. John Fisher College softball team hit .500 on the day with 15 hits in each game to earn decisive victories over visiting Medaille College on Tuesday. With the wins, the Cardinals are riding a five-game winning streak and improve to 14-4 overall.
Fisher 9, Medaille 2
Fisher took an early 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning and never looked back. The Cardinals got on the board as
Kristina Balsano singled to center field, scoring
Karlie Neale.
Katie Mazierski stayed hot with the short game, singling on a bunt to bring in Balsano.
Jennifer Knaakrecorded the third RBI of the inning when the second baseman committed an error to score
Kate Disbrow.
Medaille chipped away in the fourth and fifth innings, earning runs on sacrifice flyballs.
In the sixth inning, Fisher saw four doubles -- one from
Meghan Burns, Neale,
Danielle Ventroneand
Emma Savas each -- to help bring five Cardinals home, just one short of a mercy rule.
Lauren Owens and Disbrow paced the offense in the inning with a single apiece.
Lindsey Thayer improves to 7-2 on the year from the pitching circle. She threw a one hitter, while striking out 12 on the day. Both runs given up were unearned.
Fisher 13, Medaille 5 (6 innings)
Owens hit a two-run home run, bringing in Burns, to complete the mercy rule decision. It was the junior captain's second homer of the year, with the previous recorded just on Monday in the same fashion.
The Cardinals scored in each inning, starting with a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Ventrone tallied the two RBI on a single to right field.
In the third inning, Medaille got within one run of Fisher when Megan Owens hit a three-run longball over the center field fence.
In the bottom half of the inning, the Cardinals tallied two more runs, taking a 9-3 lead. Medaille saw another home run in the sixth that capped off its scoring at 9-5. Fisher recorded four runs in the sixth to earn the win.
Burns finished 3-for-3 with three runs, two RBI and a stolen base. Mazierski, who finished the day hitting 5-for-8, hit 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBI in the nightcap.
Halie Schoff earned the win from the circle, scattering eight hits, five runs and two walks with three strikeouts. The junior improves to 4-1 on the year.
On the day, Ventrone led Fisher, going 5-for-5 with two doubles, two runs and four RBI.