ELMIRA, NY – The Alfred University softball team won both ends of an Empire 8 Conference doubleheader at Elmira College Friday afternoon. The 23^rd-ranked Saxons won 11-1 and 15-0 (both in five innings) to run their winning streak to 18 games and remain unbeaten in conference play.
 
AU (24-2, 6-0 Empire 8) banged out a combined 29 hits in the two games, while holding the host Soaring Eagles to seven.
 
Sophomore third baseman Liz Thompson (Horseheads, NY/Horseheads) hit a homerun in each game and finished the twinbill 5-for-8 with five runs scored and seven driven in. Her triple in the first game was her sixth of the season, a new school record, and the eighth of her career, which ties a school mark. Senior pitcher-first baseman Alison Wickwire (Towanda, PA/Towanda) blasted a solo homerun in the first game, giving her 11 round-trippers on the season, which ties a school record.
 
Sophomore Sophia Chiavatti (Austin, CA/Foothills) was a perfect 7-for-7 in the two games, belting four doubles, driving in four and scoring three times. Chiavatti now has 14 doubles, which leads the Empire 8.
 
In the opener, AU scored all its runs in the first three innings, plating five in the first, two in the second and four in the third. That was more than enough support for Wickwire, who gave up five hits, allowing an earned run in the fourth, and struck out seven to improve to 9-1.
 
Thompson hit a homerun and a triple, drove in three and scored twice to pace the Saxons' 13-hit attack. Wickwire was 2-for-2 and scored twice; junior outfielder Samantha Jauregui (Lindsay, CA/Lindsay) had two hits and scored twice; and Chiavatti was 3-for-3 with two doubles, a run and two RBIs.
 
Junior shortstop Nicole Maher (Newark, DE/Caravel Academy), in her first action after missing the last seven games with injury, was 2-for-3 with a run and two RBIs.
 
The Saxons picked up right where they left off in the second game. Scoring 11 runs in the first three innings before adding four more in the fifth. Thompson was 3-for-4 with a homerun, three runs scored and four driven in, while Chiavatti was 4-for-4 with two doubles, two runs and two RBIs.
 
Jauregui scored four times and drove in two runs; junior second baseman Dana Torchia (Pompton Plains, NJ/Pequannock Twp.) was 2-for-3 with a double, a run and two RBIs; and junior catcher Jasmine Picini (Alexandria, VA/West Potomac) was 2-for-4 with a double, a run and an RBI.
 
Freshman pitcher Kerri Keeler (Jamesville, NY/Jamesville-DeWitt) improved to 7-0 on the season, allowing just two hits while striking out six and walking none.
 
Alfred returns to action next on Sunday, April 19, for a 12 p.m. Empire 8 doubleheader at Stevens.
 
Thompson's six triples breaks the AU single-season record of five she had shared with Alicia DeAndrea (2000) and Lauren Mastin (2005). Her eight career triples puts her in a tie for the school mark with Liz DeFranco (1994-97) and Nicole Hedrick (2009-12). Wickwire's 11 homeruns this year ties her for the school single-season record with Karen Folts, who hit 11 homers in 2009.