Rochester, N.Y. - The SUNY Poly softball team's season came to a close following a 15–2 loss to the Utica University Pioneers in the second round of the Empire 8 Championship. Jadyn Childers and Annabella Mondello each drove in a run for the Wildcats, who finish the year with a 20–17 overall record.

HOW IT HAPPENED: 
 

Utica struck first with a leadoff home run in the top of the first, and followed with a series of well-placed hits to build a 3–0 lead. The Wildcats showed immediate resilience, stringing together three hits in the bottom half—including RBI contact from Jadyn Childers—to get on the board and cut into the deficit.
 

But the Pioneers responded with a big second inning, capitalizing on a defensive miscue and launching two more home runs to stretch the lead to 8–1. SUNY Poly made a pitching change mid-inning to try to stop the momentum, and a strong relay throw later in the frame helped limit the damage.
 

Despite the score, the Wildcats continued to battle. Kimberly Birmingham and Annabella Mondello each added base hits, while the defense settled in during the third and fourth innings to keep Utica from pulling further ahead right away.
 

In the fifth, SUNY Poly worked a pair of runners into scoring position and Mondello delivered with a double down the right field line to bring in a second run. 
 

The Wildcats fought to the final pitch, showing flashes of the talent and grit that carried them through the season, but would ultimately fall to the Pioneers by a final score of 15-2. SUNY Poly wraps up the year with a final record of 20-17.