UTICA, NY – Host Utica College swept Alfred University in an Empire 8 Conference doubleheader Friday afternoon.
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The Pioneers beat AU in the first game, 4-1, then took the second game, 3-1, to drop the Saxons to 14-8 overall and 5-3 in Empire 8 play.
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After four scoreless innings in the opener, Alfred went ahead with a run in the top of the fifth. Freshman outfielder
Becca Alexander (Middletown, DE/Middletown) singled and advanced to third on an error before coming home on a sacrifice bunt off the bat of senior outfielder
Samantha Jauregui (Lindsay, CA/Lindsay).
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The Saxons' lead was short-lived, however, as the host Pioneers answered with four runs off Alfred's starter, sophomore
Shannon Schaefer (Westfield, NJ/Westfield), in the bottom of the frame. AU didn't threaten after that, with one Saxon batter reaching base in each of the last two innings.
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Senior second baseman
Dana Torchia Pompton Plains, NJ/Pequannock Twp.), freshman
Lu Krawczyk (West Seneca, NY/West Seneca West), junior first baseman
Sophia Chiavatti (Tustin, CA/Foothill), senior outfielder
Nora Passuite (Lockport, NY/Lockport) and Alexander each had hits for Alfred.
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Schaefer took the loss, allowing four earned runs on 10 hits, with six coming in the four-run fifth, over 4 1/3 innings. Sophomore
Kerri Keeler (Jamesville, NY/Jamesville-DeWitt) tossed 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief, allowing a pair of hits.
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In the nightcap, Utica took an early lead with a pair of runs in the second and held AU off the scoreboard until the top of the sixth. Torchia was hit by a pitch to lead off the innings and came home when the next batter, junior third baseman
Liz Thompson (Horseheads, NY/Horseheads), doubled. Utica responded with a run in the bottom of the inning to close out the scoring.
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Jauregui, Thompson and Chiavatti had hits for the Saxons. Keeler fell to 5-5 with the loss, allowing three earned runs on seven hits while striking out three over six innings.
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Alfred is in action next on Saturday, at 1 p.m. for a doubleheader at Empire 8 leading Ithaca College.
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