Saratoga Springs, N.Y. – The Skidmore College softball team was swept by Utica College in Sunday's non-conference doubleheader at Thoroughbred Field, dropping game one 2-3 in 10 innings and losing game two, 8-6.

The Thoroughbreds fall to 7-7, while the Pioneers improve to 7-7.

In the opener, pitching dominated as both sides were held scoreless after seven innings. Utica got the scoring started in the eighth when Liz Dennis singled home Jackie Gallagher and made it 2-0 when Dennis scored on an error. Skidmore answered right back after Derrin Jarvis (Harvard, Mass.) walked to load the bases with two outs and Lauren Dinsdale (Harrington Park, N.J.) drove a single to center, scoring Christina Gargiso (Staten Island, N.Y.) and Carol Brown (Seattle, Wash.) to tie it up a 2-2.

After a scoreless ninth, the Pioneers took a 3-2 lead on Hannah Barton's sacrifice fly, which proved to be the game-winner as Utica held on for the narrow victory.

Sam Crose (Assonet, Mass.) fell to 5-4, taking the tough loss for the Thoroughbreds. She allowed three runs (0 earned) on eight hits, while striking out eight in the 10-inning complete game effort. Haley Butler improved to 3-2 for the Pioneers, tossing two scoreless innings in relief of starter Stephanie Romanow.

In the nightcap, Utica got on the board first, scoring two unearned runs in the top of the first to take the an early 2-0 lead. Skidmore came right back to take the lead in the bottom half after Gargiso singled home Dinsdale and freshman Julia Schwartz (Bryn Mawr, Pa.) scored on an error to make it 3-2. The Thoroughbreds added a run in each of the next two innings as Brown had an RBI single in the second and Caitlin Ketcham (North Clarendon, Vt.) scored on an error in the third to make it 5-2.

The Pioneers put up two runs in the fourth as Kim Martin singled home a pair with two outs. Utica tied it up on a Courtney Rainbow RBI ground out in the 5^th and took the lead after Shannon Bailey scored on an error. Later in the inning, the Pioneers made it 8-5 on a two RBI single from Gallagher.

Skidmore would pull within two on an RBI double from Jarvis in the bottom half of the fifth, but that's as close as the Thoroughbreds would get as Utica took game two, 8-6.

Abby Fuhrman (Amherst, Mass.) took the loss for Skidmore, allowing six runs (two earned) in four innings of work and Schwartz allowed two runs (0 earned) in three innings of relief. Madison Dinsmore earned the win, allowing six runs (0 earned) in five innings and Butler picked up the save in two innings of relief.

The Thoroughbreds host Middlebury on March 30 at 3:30 p.m.