Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
Game 1 Box / Game 2 Box

UTICA, N.Y. - The Rensselaer softball team dropped a pair of one-run games to Utica this afternoon at Greenman Field. The Pioneers, which won by scores of 7-6 (8 innings) and 5-4, improve to 16-22 overall, while the Red Hawks fall to 21-10.

After five scoreless innings in game one the Red Hawks jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top half of the sixth inning behind four hits, including an RBI double from the bat of sophomore Jen Bach (Lansdale, PA). The Pioneers answered with two runs in the bottom of the fifth to cut the RPI lead to one, 3-2. Katie Pitcher (Maybrook, NY) hit an RBI double, followed by Angel Donaghue's (Cortlandt Manor, NY) pinch-hit, RBI, single and the Pioneers headed into the final stanza down by just one run.

Senior Andrea Curley held the Red Hawks scoreless in the top half of the seventh and the Pioneers needed to rally in the bottom half to keep the contest alive. Senior Abby Drew (South Glens Falls, NY) roped an RBI single to left field, scoring Claire Gerlach (Williamsville, NY), to send the contest into extra innings.

Freshman Sara Heller (Guilderland, NY) hit an RBI single in the top of the eighth to give RPI a one run lead. Senior captain Julianne Bass (Costa Mesa, CA) followed with an RBI double to give RPI a two run lead, 5-3, with one out in the eighth. Curley walked one more run in before getting a strikeout and a ground out to end the inning with the Red Hawks up by three runs.

The Pioneers used one walk, one hit and two consecutive errors in the bottom of the eighth to score four runs, capped by Kim Martin's (Prospect, NY) game-winning, three-run triple as Utica took game one 7-6.

Game two proved to be another tight contest with the Pioneers striking first by scoring three runs in the bottom half of the third inning. Abby Drew lined a two RBI double to lift the Pioneers to a 3-0 lead mid way through the contest.

RPI answered in the top of the fourth with two runs, including a towering home run from Bach and an RBI single to center field from freshman Samantha Paulding (Baldwinsville, NY) to cut the Pioneers lead to 3-2 with three and a half innings to play. The Red Hawks tacked on a run each of the fifth and sixth innings to take a 4-3 lead. Martin came through in the clutch once again for the Pioneers by driving home Angel Donaghue with an RBI single to knot the contest at 4-4 headed into the final inning of regulation.

RPI threatened by loading the bases in the top of the seventh but they came up empty handed as sophomore pitcher Kristin Levin got out of the jam and gave the Pioneers a chance in the bottom of the inning.

The Pioneers did just that by loading the bases after Levin singled, followed by Abby Drew and Rinae Olsen (Schenectady, NY), who both reached by way of base on ball. Andrea Curley (South Glens Falls, NY) hit the game-winning single to give the Pioneers a one run victory, 5-4.

RPI sophomore hurler Felicia Bua (Gilford, NH) totaled six strikeouts in game two, while Levin added three K's in her ninth victory of the season.

RPI travels to conference foe Union College on Friday (3pm).