ITHACA, N.Y. – Third-ranked Rochester Institute of Technology (14-22) eliminated fourth-seeded Utica (15-17) from the Empire 8 Championship Tournament with a 4-0 win at Ithaca’s Kostrinsky Field.

 

The Tigers advance to Saturday’s 11 a.m. game; they’ll play the loser of Friday’s Ithaca-St. John Fisher in an elimination game.

 

RIT plated three unearned runs in the third inning to account for all of the scoring; junior catcher Stephanie Nailos (Taconic/Pittsfield, Mass.) doubled in a pair of runs and senior third baseman Josa Hanzlik (Fairport/Fairport) singled in a run and Nailos added a two-run double. Senior outfielder Nikki Taylor (Oswego/Oswego) started the rally, reaching on an infield error with two outs. She stole second and scored the game’s first run on Hanzlik’s hit.

 

Sophomore Shila Wells (Essex/Underhill, Vt.) earned the win for the Tigers, scattering three hits.

 

Utica’s best scoring opportunities came in the first and fifth innings; the Pioneers put runners on second and third with two outs in the first and put runners on first and second with two outs in the fifth but Wells induced groundouts to end both threats.

 

Hanzlik finished with three of RIT’s nine hits.

 

Junior outfielder Ashley Kaufman (Enfield/Enfield, Conn.), senior outfielder Kristen McDonald (South Coast Sharks/Abington, Ma.) and sophomore catcher Andrea Curley (South Glens Falls/South Glens Falls) all singled for Utica. Sophomore Kellie Mathis (Adirondack/West Leyden) took the loss for the Pioneers.