Utica Earns Thrilling Win over Stevens in E8 Tournament Opener
ROCHESTER, NY- The third seeded Utica College softball team earned a thrilling 2-1 win over No. 2 seed Stevens Institute of Technology in the opening game of the Empire 8 Conference Tournament Friday afternoon.
The Pioneers (19-16) will now take on the winner of the St. John Fisher-Alfred game Saturday at 11 a.m.
With a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the seventh, Utica found itself in trouble as Stevens had the bases loaded and just one out. Melissa Alfonso singled up the middle to score one. With the tying run rounding third, sophomore outfielder
Jacqueline Aronin (Naugatuck, CT/Naugatuck High School) tossed a long ball from center field to catcher
Jamie Miller (Boonville, NY/Adirondack) who tagged out the runner at home and then made a quick throw to third to get the final out.
The Pioneers got on the board in the top of the third when
Madison Judge (Albany, NY/Colonie) grounded out with the bases loaded, but was able to score freshman
Brigid Johndrow (Bristol, CT/St. Paul Catholic). Utica added an insurance run in the fifth as
Jamie Miller (Boonville, NY/Adirondack) singled to drive in
Dominique Soto (Miller Place, NY/Miller Place) to give UC a 2-0 lead.
Miller led Utica going 2-for-4 on the day, while Judge, Aronin, Soto, and
Sadie Evans (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) each had one hit. Freshman
Gabriella Caccamo (Suffern, NY/Suffern) gave up just five hits and did not allow an earned run in seven full innings of work to pick up her team-leading 11
th win of the season. Caccamo is now tied for eighth in the College's single season record books for wins in a season.