Meghan Matan '13 collected six hits and drove in four runs to lead Utica College to a sweep over Hamilton College in a non-conference doubleheader at Hamilton's Ferguson Fields on April 10.
Utica (16-9 overall) pounded out 18 hits and won the first game, 10-2. The Pioneers took the nightcap, 7-4.
In Game 1, Matan finished a perfect 4-for-4 with a triple and four runs batted in. Matan entered the game leading the team with a batting average of .500. Christy Traglia '15 collected three hits, including a double, and drove in two runs. Mallory Ingalls '13 and Jess Anson '12 added three hits apiece, and Anson scored three runs. Starting pitcher Heather Kingsbury '12 scattered six hits and allowed two unearned runs in six innings of work. Kingsbury did not issue a walk and struck out two batters. Cassidy Thompson '15 tossed a scoreless seventh inning.
Ashley Perritt '14 led Hamilton offensively with three hits and an RBI. Sam Miller '14 doubled and Monique St. Jarre '15, Melissa Kaknis '13 and Katie Puccio '15 each added a single. Cara Vennari '12 drove in the other Hamilton run. St. Jarre pitched a complete game and suffered the loss. She did not issue a walk and struck out six batters.
Utica jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Matan led off with a triple and scored on Traglia's single. The Pioneers added two more runs in the top of the second inning. Ingalls led off with a single and after a strikeout, Haley Butler '12 and Anson followed with back-to-back singles. Matan lined a single to left field to score Ingalls and Butler. An unearned run in the top of the fourth inning gave Utica a 4-0 lead.
Hamilton (6-16) got a run back in the bottom of the fifth inning. With one out, Amy Appel '13 reached on an error. After a sacrifice bunt by Jenn Rougeux '14, Perritt followed with an RBI single through the left side to score Appel.
The Pioneers responded with two runs in the top of the sixth inning. Anson led off with a triple and scored on Matan's sacrifice fly to center field. Traglia followed with a double and later scored on a throwing error.
The Continentals plated a run in the bottom half of the inning when Vennari's groundout scored pinch-runner Mary Jo Germanos '14. But that was as close as Hamilton could get, as the Pioneers tacked on four more runs in the top of the seventh inning to close the scoring.
In Game 2, Matan finished with two hits and scored two runs. Kristie Jones '14 doubled twice and drove in a pair of runs, and Traglia added two hits. Butler started in the circle and scattered six hits over five innings. She did not allow an earned run, walked one batter and struck out one. Briona Enny '15 pitched two innings in relief and allowed two hits and one earned run.
Miller smacked a double and a triple to lead the Continentals' offense. She also drove in her 26th run. Perritt had two hits and scored two runs, and St. Jarre finished with two hits and an RBI. Puccio and Vennari had the other two hits for Hamilton. Kelly Leonard '15 started in the circle and suffered the loss. Leonard walked two batters and struck out four in seven innings.
Utica scored two runs in the top of the second inning and three more in the top of the third to take a 5-0 lead. Jones doubled to lead off the second inning, moved to third on a single by Bridgette Plummer '13 and later scored on a groundout by Ingalls. A sacrifice fly by Dominique Carcone '13 plated Plummer to cap the inning.
Anson singled to lead off the third inning and came around to score when Matan's single was misplayed in the outfield. Courtney Fitzgerald '15 followed with an RBI single and Jones capped the inning with a sacrifice fly to center field.
Hamilton pulled within 3-2 in the bottom of the fourth inning. Miller laced a two-out triple to right center field and scored on an error that allowed Kaknis to reach first base. Puccio followed with a single and Vennari plated Kaknis with an RBI single up the middle.
Matan led off the top of the fifth inning with a triple and scored on Traglia's single. Jones closed the scoring for Utica with an RBI double to drive in Traglia.
Miller doubled home Perritt to pull the Continentals within 7-3 after five innings. Hamilton added a run in the bottom of the seventh to make it 7-4, and the Continentals had the tying run on deck. But Enny got a groundout and a popout in the infield to seal the victory.
Hamilton hosts Amherst College for a NESCAC West Division game on Friday, April 13, at 5 p.m.
