TUSCON, AZ – The Alfred University softball team split a pair of contests Monday during the opening day of the Saxons' season-opening spring games in Tuscon, AZ.
 
In the opener, AU scored five runs in the top of the seventh inning to erase a 3-2 deficit and defeat Southwestern University, 7-3. In the second game, Alfred's last-inning rally came up just short in a 9-8 loss to Baldwin Wallace.
 
In the opener against Southwestern, AU was led at the plate by sophomore third baseman Liz Thompson (Horseheads, NY/Horseheads), who was 2-for-4 with a double, a run scored and three RBIs, and junior Nora Passuite (Lockport, NY/Lockport), who went 2-for-3 with a triple and two runs scored.
 
Junior second baseman Dana Torchia (Pompton Plains, NJ/Pequannock Twp.) had a hit and drove in a run; sophomore outfielder Hannah Lawrence (Spencer, NY/Spencer-Van Etten) had a double and two RBIs; and senior outfielder Alyson Hampton (Oxnard, CA/Oxnard) scored once and drove in a run. Senior Samantha Jo Muller (Port Jervis, NY/Port Jervis) and junior Mackenzie Miller (Newport, OR/Newport) each scored a run.
 
Freshman Kerri Keeler (Jamesville, NY/Jamesville-DeWitt) got the pitching start for the Saxons and went three innings, allowing three earned runs on eight hits while striking out three. Freshman Shannon Schaefer (Neptune, NJ/Westfield) got the win with four innings of hitless relief, striking out five and walking none.
 
In the second game AU jumped out to a 4-0 lead after two innings before Baldwin Wallace scored five in the top half of the third to take a 5-4 lead. Alfred tied the game with a run in the bottom of the third, but a four-run sixth gave Baldwin Wallace a 9-5 advantage. Two of the Yellowjackets runs in the frame were unearned.
 
Alfred loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the seventh and scored three times before the game ended with the potential tying run on second.
 
Senior Alison Wickwire (Towanda, PA/Towanda) went 2-for-3 with a homerun, three RBIs and two runs scored to lead AU. Torchia and Thompson each had two hits (including a double) with two runs scored and one driven in.
 
Junior Jasmine Picini (Alexandria, VA/West Potomac) had an RBI double; Lawrence hit a double; and junior shortstop Nicole Maher (Newark, DE/Caravel Academy) and Passuite each drove in a run.
 
Wickwire took the pitching loss for the Saxons, going the distance and allowing nine runs (seven earned) on 10 hits while striking out eight over seven innings.
 
AU is back in action Tuesday with a pair of games: at 11 a.m. against Cedar Crest and at 1:30 p.m. against Baldwin Wallace.