Utica, N.Y. - The SUNY Poly softball team battled hard in a doubleheader against local rival Utica University on Tuesday, coming away with a split. The Wildcats claimed a 6–3 win in the opener before falling 7–1 in game two. Jadyn Childers was a standout at the plate, going 5-for-9 across both games and driving in a pair of runs to help spark the offense. With the split, SUNY Poly moves to 15–8 on the season.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The Wildcats wasted no time getting on the board in the top of the first. Ava Faragon led off with a single to center, and after a fielder's choice and a double from Anabella Mondello, Shelbi Hagues moved up to third. Kimberly Birmingham then put the ball in play, reaching on an error that brought Hagues home for the game's first run.
SUNY Poly struck again in the second, capitalizing on another Utica miscue. After a pair of singles from Kelly Powell and Jadyn Childers, and a fielding error that loaded the bases, Hagues delivered an RBI single to right. The Wildcats nearly added more, but Childers was thrown out at home trying to score, limiting the damage to one run.
The Wildcats kept the pressure on in the third inning. Birmingham drew a walk, and consecutive singles from Aliva Turk and Powell loaded the bases for Childers, who roped a two-run double to right field to stretch the lead to 4–0.
Joely Welpe helped spark another rally in the fifth with a leadoff double. Faragon later singled to drive her in, and when a wild pitch skipped to the backstop, Powell crossed the plate to make it 6–0.
On the mound, Trinity Critelli was in control for much of the game. The right-hander kept Utica off the scoreboard through six innings, striking out none Pioneer batters.
Utica made things interesting in the seventh, plating three runs on a rally sparked by a walk and three hits, including a two-run single. But with the tying run at the plate, SUNY Poly slammed the door shut, getting a groundout to end the threat and the game.
GAME TWO:
The first two innings were a pitchers' duel, with both teams managing just one hit apiece. Ava Faragon and Shelbi Hagues were retired quickly to start the top of the first for SUNY Poly, but Anabella Mondello gave the Wildcats their first baserunner with a two-out single. Still, Utica's defense held strong to keep the inning scoreless.
After two quiet frames, the Wildcats finally broke through in the third. Jadyn Childers sparked the inning with a leadoff single to right, and after an error at first allowed Faragon to reach safely, Hagues lifted a sacrifice fly to center to bring in Childers and give SUNY Poly a 1–0 lead.
But Utica responded quickly. In the bottom half of the third, the Pioneers plated two runs behind a pair of hits and a sacrifice fly, making it 2-1. Utica sent ten batters to the plate and erupted for five runs on six hits, stretching their lead to 7-1.
Despite a couple of base hits from Childers and Hagues in the fifth and a late single from Faragon in the seventh, SUNY Poly couldn't muster another run. The Wildcats were stymied by timely Utica pitching and left seven runners on base over the course of the game.
