ELMIRA, N.Y. -- Elmira College softball has bumped up its Empire 8 Conference doubleheader against Utica College - originally scheduled for Saturday - to Friday, April 14, with the opening game against the Pioneers beginning at 3:30 p.m. at Eldridge Park Stadium.

LAST TIME OUT: After four-straight non-conference tilts, the Soaring Eagles returned to the Empire 8 Conference portion of the schedule with a home doubleheader against Alfred University on Saturday, April 8. Unfortunately for Elmira, it come out on the losing end of both games of the twin bill, falling in the first contest by a final score of 10-2 before dropping the nightcap, 12-0. The Soaring Eagles committed a combined seven errors across both games, which, in turn, resulted in 13 unearned runs. One bright spot for Elmira was the play of senior utility player Emily Carlin '17. In the two games, Carlin reached base 5-of-6 times. The Riverside, California, native showed exceptional control at the plate, as she earned four walks in the doubleheader.
 
McDOUGAL NAMED EC ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Senior pitcher Katie McDougal '18 had herself an impressive six-game stretch this past week. The Pawling, New York, product batted .400 (4-for-10), while throwing three complete-game efforts and compiling 17 strikeouts with one win in 23.1 innings of work. For this noteworthy play over the past week, McDougal was awarded Elmira College Athlete of the Week honors.
 
GARNER GROWING INTO HER OWN: The 2017 incarnation of the EC softball team has looked to a couple of freshmen to fill important roles to start the season. One of the standout rookies is Sarah Garner '20. She has started 10 of the team's 11 games, with seven of those starts at the catcher position. The Syosset, New York, native has five hits and four runs, the latter tied for second on the team. Garner also boasts a .333 on-base percentage, and on defense, has committed just one error.
 
UTICA AT A GLANCE: After evening its record at 8-8 with a doubleheader sweep of Oswego State on April 5, the Utica women went on to drop five of the next six games and head into this afternoon's bout with a 9-13 overall record and a 2-4 mark in E8 play. The Pioneers were blanked in a pair of non-league games by the University of Rochester last time out, which marked the beginning of a six-game road tour for Utica. The Pioneers are led at the plate by sophomore talent Nicole Rice, who has emerged as the most consistent batter in the Empire 8 this season. Rice owns a league-leading .530 batting average and is tops in the E8 with a .595 on-base percentage. She is tied for second in the conference in doubles (8), while her 11 walks and .652 slugging percent pace the Pioneers. Brittany Meka has been Utica's go-to option in the pitcher's circle this season. The junior is 6-3 on the year and has logged team highs in innings pitched (72.0), complete games (5), saves (1) and strikeouts (74), and owns a team-low 1.65 ERA.
 
SERIES HISTORY: Elmira and Utica have a long and storied history, as today's contests marks the 58th and 59th all-time meetings between the two programs. To date, the Soaring Eagles own a 31-26 advantage in this rich series. Despite trailing in the all-time series, the Pioneers have gotten the better of EC of late, besting their E8 rivals in four straight games. Elmira's last victory over Utica came in a 7-3 triumph on April 19, 2014.
 
LOOKING AHEAD: Elmira returns to action on Monday, April 17, with a road doubleheader against Alfred State. The opening game of the twin bill is scheduled for a 3:00 p.m. start in Alfred, New York.