ALFRED, NY – Their last four dates postponed to poor weather, the Alfred University softball team returned to the field Tuesday afternoon, taking on host Houghton College and sweeping the Empire 8 Conference doubleheader.
 
AU, playing for the first time since and April 2, defeated the Highlanders by scores of 7-0 and 8-0.

In the opener, AU senior second baseman Dana Torchia (Pompton Plains, NJ/Pequannock Twp.) set a new school record for runs scored. In the second game, AU sophomore Shannon Schaefer (Westfield, NJ/Westfield) tossed her first collegiate no-hitter.
 
After scoreless first in the nightcap, AU jumped on the Highlanders with a six-run second. Torchia led off the inning with a triple and scored on a passed ball, with freshman catcher Lu Krawczyk (West Seneca, NY/West Seneca West) walking on the play.
 
Krawczyk scored on a fielder's choice before junior outfielder Hannah Lawrence (Spencer, NY/Spencer-Van Etten) and senior outfielder Samantha Jauregui (Lindsay, CA/Lindsay) singled to load the bases. Junior outfielder Brooke Hockeborn (Horseheads, NY/Horseheads) reached on an error, with freshman Amanda Shaffer (Sandyston, NJ/Kittattiny Regional) and Lawrence scoring to make it 4-0. Jauregui scored on a wild pitch before junior third baseman Liz Thompson (Horseheads, NY/Horseheads) plated Hockeborn with an RBI single.
 
The Saxons closed out the scoring with a two-run sixth. Lawrence and freshman Dominique D'Andrea (Waterford, NJ/St. Joseph) reach on errors before they were driven home on a double by freshman Kelley Staub (Eden, NY/Eden).
 
Schaefer improved to 6-2 on the year, striking out four and walking two in a game stopped after six innings with the Saxons up eight runs. Jauregui was 2-for-2 and scored a run and Lawrence was 1-for-3 with two runs scored to pace the Saxons, who tallied nine hits in the contest to improve to 13-5 (5-1 Empire 8).
 
In the opener, AU sophomore Kerri Keeler (Jamesville, NY/Jamesville-DeWitt) tossed a three-hit shutout, striking out nine and issuing no walks to improve to 5-3. Thompson led an 11-hit Saxons' attack with a two-run home run, her second round-tripper of the year.
 
The Saxons went up early with a pair of unearned runs. Jauregui led off with a single and advanced to second on a groundout before coming in to score when sophomore Haley Powers (Newark, DE/St. Georges Tech) reached on an error with two outs. Senior shortstop Nicole Maher (Newark, DE/Caravel Academy) followed with a double to plate Powers.
 
After a scoreless second, Alfred added three more runs in the third. Jauregui singles and scored on Thompson's home run to make it 4-0. Maher singles and moved to third on a two-base error in the outfield, then scored on a single by junior first baseman Sophia Chavatti (Tustin, CA/Foothill).
 
AU closed out the scoring with two runs in the sixth. Torchia doubled to lead off the frame and advanced to third on a groundout before scoring on a single by freshman outfielder Becca Alexander (Middletown, DE/Middletown). The run was the 104th of Torchia's career, which broke the school mark of 103 set by Jesika LeBarron (2007-10). After Alexander advanced to second in a bunt, she was doubled home by senior outfielder Nora Passuite (Lockport, NY/Lockport).
 
Jauregui was 2-for-4 with two runs and Maher was 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI.
 
AU returns to action Wednesday, April 13, for a 3 p.m. non-conference doubleheader at RIT.