UTICA, NY – The SUNYIT softball team blanked NEAC rival Wells College in a pair of contests Saturday, winning game one 8-0 and game two 10-0 in two run-ruled shortened contests.  The Lady Wildcats improved to 4-0 in the NEAC and 8-3 overall with the victories, while the Express dropped to 0-2 in conference play and 0-6 overall.

Due to the on-campus construction of the $20 million field house and renovations to the current Wildcat Softball Field, the contest was held at Utica College's Greenman Field, which, along with Herkimer County Community College's Generals Field, will be the site of all SUNYIT home games this season.

SUNYIT led 2-0 through four and a half innings of play in game one before exploding for six scores in the bottom of the fifth to run-rule Wells.  The inning was highlighted by a two-run homerun by junior Amanda Pratt (Rochester, NY/Rush-Henrietta) that put the Wildcats up 6-0 and another two-run shot from fellow classmate Nicolette Kennedy (Yonkers, NY/Good Counsel Academy) that finished off the Express.

Junior Juleah Vedder (Dolgeville, NY/Dolgeville) finished 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI, while also going the distance on the mound and giving up five hits while striking out seven batters.  Sophomore Lyndsey Brognano (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) hit two doubles, drove in a run and scored another.

SUNYIT remained hot in game two, putting four runs on the board in the first inning on a three-run double by Vedder and an RBI double by Pratt.  Five more runs were scored in the second to put the Wildcats up 9-0, and they would put an extra run on the board in the fourth to secure the victory after five innings of play.

Vedder again finished 2-for-3 at the plate while this time driving in four runs and scoring two of her own.  Pratt went 2-for-2 with two doubles, an RBI and one run scored, Brognano scored two runs and stole a base and sophomore Lauren Marleau (Prospect, NY/Holland Patent) finished 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored.

Senior Meaghan McGurn (Slingerlands, NY/Hudson Valley CC) struck out six batters in just three innings of work to improve to 4-1 on the year, while sophomore Tiffani Troilo (Rye Brook, NY/Blind Brook) recorded one strikeout in two innings of relief.

With tomorrow's home contest against Keuka College being postponed until Friday, April 22, the Wildcats will next be in action on Wednesday, April 6 when they travel to take on conference foe SUNY Cobleskill for a doubleheader.  Game one is scheduled to begin at 3:00 pm.