ALFRED, NY – Alfred University's Nicole Maher (Newark, DE/Caravel Academy) and Katelyn Jakobsen (Elmwood Park, IL/Elmwood Park) have swept the weekly Empire 8 Conference awards for softball.

Maher, a sophomore shortstop, was named Empire 8 Player of the Week, while Jakobsen, also a sophomore, was named E8 Pitcher of the Week.

Maher was honored for her play in six games last week. She batted .650 (13 for 20) in a 5-1 week for the Saxons, which included sweeps of RIT and Houghton and a split with St. John Fisher. She hit a pair of doubles and a triple and finished the week with seven RBIs and seven runs scored. Maher was a combined 5-for-7 with two RBIs and a run scored in the split with Fisher.

Jakobsen won two games and got a no-decision in a third last week. She earned the win in Alfred's come-from-behind win over RIT, tossing 4 2/3 innings of one-hit scoreless relief, striking out five with no walks. In a 10-1 win over Houghton, she pitched five innings, allowing an unearned run on two hits while striking out six and walking none. She allowed just an unearned run on four hits (two strikeouts and two walks) before leaving the game against Fisher with a 5-1 lead after five innings in a game the Saxons would go on to lose. For the week, Jakobsen was 2-0, allowing no earned runs and seven hits over 14 2/3 innings, with 13 strikeouts and two walks.

AU (17-5, 2-2 Empire 8) is in action next on Wednesday, April 16, at 3 p.m. in a non-league doubleheader at Medaille. The Saxons played an Empire 8 doubleheader at home against Elmira, but the first game was stopped due to rain. It will be resumed at a date and time to be determined with Elmira leading 8-6 with AU batting with one out in the bottom of the fifth and a runner on first. After the completion of that game, the second half of the doubleheader will be played.