UTICA, N.Y. – The SUNY Poly softball team beat Utica twice on Wednesday afternoon 3-2 on a walk-off and 8-5. The Wildcats had some timely hitting behind a great outing by Trinity Critelli in the first game. In the second game, the Wildcat offense was great, tallying 14 hits and eight runs. The doubleheader sweep is the Wildcat's first sweep of Utica since the 2010 season.

GAME ONE:

Utica – 2

SUNY Poly – 3

WP: Trinity Critelli (5-1)

LP: Jordyn Conte (3-1)

HOW IT HAPPENED:

After a scoreless first inning, SUNY Poly got on the board in the second on an RBI double by Kelly Powell that scored Aeron Hamm. Utica responded in the fifth inning with a two-run double by Cassidy Doiron that gave the Pioneers a 2-1 lead.

SUNY Poly tied the game in the bottom of the fifth inning when Amy DeSena grounded out to first base with a runner on third, allowing that runner, Maddelyn Hoehn, to score.

The game remained tied until the bottom of the seventh inning, when, with runners on first and second, Kimberly Birmingham hit a hard grounder to third base that was booted by the third baseman into left field. With a full head of steam, Maddelyn Hoehn scored the walk-off run from second base to give the Wildcats their sixth win of the season.   

Trinity Critelli pitched a complete game for SUNY Poly. She allowed six hits and two runs while striking out 11 batters.

Jordyn Conte took the loss for Utica, pitching 6.2 innings and allowing three runs on six hits.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:

• SUNY Poly's Maddelyn Hoehn had a pair of hits in the game, going 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, and two runs scored.
• Kelly Powell had a pair of hits for the Wildcats with a double and an RBI. She also went 2-for-3.
• Emily Joss went 2-for-4 for Utica.
• Erica Sanford went 2-for-3 for the Pioneers
• Cassidy Dorion had two RBI for Utica with a double and a walk. She went 1-for-2

GAME TWO:

Utica – 5

SUNY Poly - 8

WP: Caitlin Reilly (1-3)

LP: Maggie Habernig (1-1)

HOW IT HAPPENED:

The Wildcats started strong, scoring three runs in the first inning on a single from Kimberly Birmingham and a two-run single from Aeron Hamm. In the third inning, Hamm drove in two more runs on a triple to right center to bring the score to 4-0.

Utica scored its first run in the fourth inning on an RBI double by Maddie Zulager.

The Wildcats responded with two runs in the fifth inning. Kimberly Birmingham drove in a run on a double to center field and Joy Stevens hit an RBI single to extend the Wildcat lead to five runs. The Wildcats would add an insurance run in the sixth on an RBI double by Ava Faragon.

Utica scored two in the sixth and two in the seventh on a pair of two-run homers by Cassidy Doiron and Lauren Paul, but it was not enough to overcome the deficit and the game came to an end with a final score of 8-5.   

Caitlin Reilly picked up her first win of the season for SUNY Poly. She allowed five runs on 10 hits while striking out eight batters. Maggie Habernig took the loss for Utica, allowing five runs on nine hits over four innings.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:

• The Wildcat offense had 14 hits in the game. They had four players with multi-hit games.
• Aeron Hamm had a game-high four RBI with a triple. She went 2-for-3 for the Wildcats.
• Kimberly Birmingham was 3-for-3 for the Wildcats. She had a double, two runs scored, and a pair of RBI.
• Ava Faragon was 3-for-3 for SUNY Poly. She had a double, a pair of runs scored, and an RBI.
• Lauren Paul went 3-for-4 for the Pioneers. She had a pair of RBI, scored twice, and homered.
• Cassidy Doiron also homered for Utica. She was 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI.

UP NEXT:

The Wildcats will travel to Wells College on Tuesday, April 4th for a non-conference doubleheader. The games are scheduled to start at 3:00 PM and 5:00 PM.

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SUNY Poly is New York's globally recognized, high-tech educational ecosystem. SUNY Poly offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in the emerging disciplines of nanoscience and nanoengineering, as well as cutting-edge nanobioscience programs at its Albany campus, and undergraduate and graduate degrees in technology, including engineering, cybersecurity, computer science, and the engineering technologies; professional studies, including business, communication, and nursing; and arts and sciences, including natural sciences, game design, mathematics, humanities, and social sciences at its Utica campus; thriving athletic, recreational, and cultural programs, events, and activities complement the campus experience. As the world's most advanced, university-driven research enterprise, SUNY Poly boasts billions of dollars in high-tech investments and hundreds of corporate partners since its inception. For information visit www.sunypoly.edu.