Box Score  
ITHACA, NY – Host and top-seeded Ithaca erased an early one-run deficit with three fourth-inning runs and held on for a 4-2 victory over Alfred University Friday afternoon at the Empire 8 Conference softball championship tournament.
 
Alfred (25-9) will now face fourth-seeded Utica Saturday at 11 a.m. Utica, which fell to Ithaca in Friday's first round, bounced back to beat second-seeded Stevens in an elimination game Friday afternoon.
 
The Saxons, seeded third in the four-team double-elimination tournament and coming off a 6-2 win over second-seeded Stevens earlier in the day, took a 1-0 lead against Ithaca in the first inning. Sophomore outfielder Samantha Jauregui (Lindsay, CA/Lindsay) led off with a single and moved to second on a groundout before scoring on a double by sophomore second baseman Dana Torchia (Pompton Plains, NJ/Pequannock Twp.).
 
The scored stayed 1-0 until the top of the fourth when Ithaca scored three runs (one unearned) off AU junior pitcher Alison Wickwire (Towanda, PA/Towanda). The host Bombers added a run in the sixth to take a 4-1 lead before AU mounted a rally in the bottom of the seventh. Jauregui singled to lead off the inning and scored when freshman third baseman Liz Thompson (Horseheads, NY/Horseheads) followed with a double. Alfred's rally ended there, however, as Ithaca retired the next three Saxon batters.
 
Jauregui finished 3-for-4 with two runs to lead the Saxons. Torchia, Wickwire and senior outfielder Stephanie Arguello (Placentia, CA/Vista del Lago) each had two hits. AU had 11 hits in all, but stranded eight runners.
 
Wickwire went the distance for Alfred, allowing four runs (three earned), on eight hits while striking out five.
 
If Alfred beats Utica Saturday, the Saxons will play Ithaca at 1 p.m. Saturday. If AU wins that game, the two teams will meet again at 1 p.m. Sunday in a winner-take-all tournament championship game. The tournament winner earns the Empire 8's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III championship tournament.
 
 For a complete tournament schedule and live stats and video links, please visit the Championship Website.