UTICA, N.Y. -- The Elmira College softball team dropped a pair of Empire 8 Conference road games to Utica College on Friday afternoon. Utica (11-7, 6-6 E8) came from behind in game one to win the opener in six innings, 15-7, before defeating the Soaring Eagles (4-12, 3-7 E8) in five innings in the nightcap, 9-1.
 
Utica 15, Elmira 7 (6 innings)
Game one was a defensive struggle, as a total of 22 runs were scored and five lead changes occurred.
 
Madison Brown-Bloom '23 and Jillian Cortez '23 logged RBIs in the first inning, one that saw the Soaring Eagles plate three runs. However, a combination of wild pitches, passed balls and errors helped the Pioneers tie the game at 3-3 in the bottom half.
 
EC reclaimed a one-run lead, 4-3, in the top of the third inning on an RBI double by Cortez, one that scored Alexis Dinga '22 from first base.
 
The one-run advantage was short-lived though, as Utica plated three runs in the bottom half of the third to pull ahead, 6-4. Emily Joss drove in one run, and scored on a wild pitch, while Abbigayle Finch knocked in the other run for the Pioneers.
 
The teeter-totter nature of the contest continued in the top of the fourth with Elmira scoring another three runs to reclaim the lead, 7-6. All three of EC's runs were scored with two outs.
 
Janie Kempf '21 began the two-out rally with a single and Felicity Brockhuizen '22 followed it up with a walk. Kempf advanced to third on an error, putting runners on the corners, before Brockhuizen swiped second and Kempf crossed home plate on the throw.
 
Brown-Bloom extended the inning with a walk, putting two runners on base. Dinga then laced a two-out double to left field, scoring Brockhuizen and Brown-Bloom to put the Purple and Gold on top, 7-6.
 
Unfortunately, this was as close as it would get as Utica scratched across five runs in the bottom half of the inning, before scoring four additional runs in the fifth and sixth to secure a 15-7 victory.
 
Offensively, Dinga and Cortez led the Elmira women with two RBIs apiece. Dinga went 1-for-3 with a run score and Cortez for 2-for-3.
 
Brown-Bloom was a perfect 2-for-2 with one RBI, one walk, and two runs scored.
 
Kempf was 1-for-3 with two runs scored and a walk, while Brockhuizen scored twice and walked once.
 
Utica 9, Elmira 1 (5 innings)
The Utica offense continued to score at a torrid pace. However, the difference in game two was the defense, which settled in and stymied the Soaring Eagles, limiting EC to one run. Utica's starting pitcher, Gabby Caccamo, held Elmira to just two hits and one unearned run.
 
Utica outscored Elmira, 6-0, over the course of three innings. An RBI double from Dinga plated Brown-Bloom for EC's first and only run of the game in the fourth, but the Pioneers responded with a three-spot in the bottom half of the inning to pull ahead, 9-1.
 
The Pioneers clinched the win in five innings thanks to a scoreless fifth inning.
 
Hannah Flagg '24 and Brown-Bloom registered hits for Elmira. Flagg was 1-for-3 while batting in the leadoff spot and Brown-Bloom went 1-for-2 with one run scored.
 
News and Notes

• Dinga produced a team-high three RBIs through two games.
• Brown-Bloom went 3-for-4 over the course of two games.
• Brown-Bloom scored a team-high three runs in the two contests.
• Brown-Bloom is on a five-game hit streak.
• Kempf has scored eight runs in her last five games.
• Brockhuizen's hit streak came to an end today at 10 consecutive games.

 
Up Next
Elmira is back in action on Saturday, April 24, when the Soaring Eagles travel to face Russell Sage College in an Empire 8 doubleheader. The opening pitch is set for 3:30 p.m. in Troy, New York.