WEEHAWKEN, N.J. (April 8, 2016) – The Stevens Institute of Technology softball team fell to Utica College 8-7 and 2-1 Friday on a chilly night in Weehawken. 

The losses dropped Stevens to 12-8 (3-3), while Utica moved to 12-10 (3-1).

Utica 8, Stevens 7
Utica scored one in the first and three more in the second off a three-run homer to left, before adding three more in the fourth to put the Ducks in a seven-role hole. Stevens responded with four in the fourth however, slicing into the Utica lead. 

Junior Emily Sellitti drove in the first with a one-out RBI double to score sophomore Lauren Shirley, and scored two batters later off junior Amanda DiLeo's three-run homer to left. 

The Ducks scored two more in the sixth with sole shots from Sellitti and junior Jessica Rees, before tying the game in the seventh off sophomore Olivia Gemma's two-out RBI double to score Shirley. 

Utica answered with the go-ahead run in the eighth, and sealed the Stevens loss in the bottom of the inning after working around a one-out single from DiLeo. 

DiLeo led the Ducks at the plate with a 2-for-3 game that included three RBIs, while freshman starter Marissa Ceppello took just her second loss of the season in the complete-game effort.

Utica 2, Stevens 1
Pitching took control of the game early on as both teams combined for just two base runners over the first three innings. Utica threatened with runners on first and second in the fourth, but Stevens starter Christine LaRochelle induced the ground-out to third to end the inning. 

Utica finally broke through with one in the fifth, but the Ducks promptly responded with one of their own in the bottom of the inning to tie the game at one. Rees sparked the run with a two-out single to left, and scored during the next at-bat off a triple from DiLeo. 

The 1-1 tie held through the sixth before Utica grabbed the lead with a run in the seventh. Stevens put the tying run on third in the bottom of the inning after sophomore pinch-runner Cara Napolitano reached second on a wild pitch and stole third, but it's as close to scoring as she would get as Utica starter Abby Monroe tallied three-straight outs to seal the loss. 

Senior Gavriella Risman-Jones, Gemma, Rees, and DiLeo each added one hit for the Ducks, while LaRochelle scattered seven hits in the complete game in the circle. 

UP NEXT
The Ducks will return to action Sunday starting at 1 p.m. with a doubleheader against Elmira College in Weehawken.  

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