Box Score
ROCHESTER, NY – A one-out single by sophomore Nora Passuite (Lockport, NY/Lockport) in the bottom of the seventh inning lifted the Alfred University softball team to a thrilling 8-7 victory Saturday afternoon over top-seeded University of Rochester in an NCAA Division III championship tournament regional game.
 
AU (29-10), the second seed in the four-team double-elimination Rochester Regional, advances to play in Sunday's regional championship round, where the Saxons face a rematch with Rochester. The regional winner will advance to next weekend's Super Regional action, with a berth in the College World Series on the line.
 
The Saxons earned the walk-off win Saturday after giving up a two-run lead in the sixth inning. With Rochester leading 7-6, AU sophomore second baseman Dana Torchia (Pompton Plains, NJ/Pequannock Twp.) led off the bottom of the seventh with a walk. Senior Stephanie Arguello (Vista del Lago, Ca/Placentia) ran for Torchia and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Sophomore shortstop Nicole Maher (Newark, DE/Caravel Academy) singled and Arguello scored the tying run on an error by the Rochester rightfielder. Sophomore Mackenzie Miller (Newport, OR/Newport) ran for Maher and advanced to second on a walk to sophomore catcher Jasmine Picini (Alexandria, VA/West Potomac) and Passuite followed with a single down the right field line to score Miller with the winning run.
 
The last-inning rally made a winner of freshman pitcher Sophia Chiavatti (Austin, CA/Footfills), who tossed 6 2/3 innings of relief, allowing four earned runs on eight hits while striking out four. Sophomore Katelyn Jakobsen (Elmwood Park, IL/Elmwood Park) started but was lifted for Chiavatti after allowing three first-inning runs on two hits and a pair of walks.
 
After Rochester took a 3-0 lead into the bottom of the first, AU responded with a pair of runs in the home half of the frame. Maher, who finished 2-for-4, belted a double that scored junior first baseman Alison Wickwire (Towanda, PA/Towanda) and Torchia.
 
Rochester scored a single run in the fourth to go up, 4-2, before Alfred took its first lead of the game with a four-run fifth. Freshman third baseman Liz Thompson (Horseheads, NY/Horseheads) drew a one-out walk and advanced to second when Torchia reached on an error. Wickwire walked to load the bases and, after Maher lined out, Picini blasted a grand slam to left to put the Saxons in front, 6-4.
 
Third-seeded Messiah eliminated fourth-seeded Marywood, 14-6, on Saturday, and Messiah was then eliminated in a 4-3 loss to Rochester later in the afternoon. Rochester and Alfred will play in Sunday's championship at noon. If Rochester beats AU, the teams will square off again at 2:30 p.m., with the winner crowned regional champ.
 
The winner of the Rochester Regional, one of 16 regionals being contested by the 62-team NCAA championship field, will play in one of eight best-of-three "Super Regionals" Friday and Saturday, May 16 and 17, at a site to be determined. The winners of the eight Super Regionals will move on to play in the College World Series, May 22-27, at the University of Texas-Tyler.
 
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