Zach Thomann, Assistant Sports Editor 

(Photo credit: ucpioneers.com)

​The Pioneers suffered tough losses to Stevens Institute of Technology on Saturday with final scores of 7-1 and 7-4 . Utica had its chances to win despite the lopsided scores.
​In game one of the doubleheader, Utica got an early lead with an RBI double off the bat of Sophomore Nicole Rice in the first inning. The score would remain 1-0 until the seventh inning when Stevens junior Corinne Loncar hit a solo homerun to left-center to tie the game.

​The game would go into extra innings where Stevens poured in six runs in the eighth to pull ahead. Utica could not make up the deficit and lost the game 7-1.

​The Pioneers were held to six hits and sophomore Christine LaRochelle was credited with the win. Junior Brittany Meka was the losing pitcher for the game.

​In the second game of the doubleheader, Utica’s comeback in the late innings came up short. Stevens scored a combined seven runs in the fourth and fifth innings to open up the scoring, but Utica cut into the lead in the bottom of the fifth with multiple Pioneers getting hits.

Utica was still down 7-4 heading into the sixth. Junior Samantha Whitehouse had a chance to tie the game with the bases loaded and two out, but hit a pop-fly that didn’t reach the outfield to end the inning. Stevens would hold on in the seventh to complete the two-game sweep.

​Sophomore Marissa Cappello picked up the win while freshman Alyssa Samborin had the loss.

​Utica is back in action on Sunday with a doubleheader against Ithaca College on Sunday at home. First pitch is at 1 p.m.