ALFRED, NY – Kerri Keeler (Jamesville, NY/Jamesville-DeWitt), a shortstop on the Alfred University softball team, has been named Empire 8 Conference Pitcher of the Week, the conference announced today.

Keeler was honored for her play in three games last week, in which she went 2-0.

She earned the wins in both ends of a home Empire 8 doubleheader against 22^nd-ranked St. John Fisher. In the opener she pitched a complete-game, four-hit shutout, striking out four to outduel Fisher's Lindsey Thayer in a 1-0 Saxon win.  The victory clinched a berth for AU in the E8 championship tournament. In the second game, Keeler tossed three innings of two-hit scoreless relief, striking out one to get the victory in Alfred's 13-12 nine-inning win.

Keeler also started a non-league game against Hilbert, pitching one inning and allowing an earned run. For the week, she allowed one run in 11 innings for a 0.64 ERA.

On the season, Keeler is 10-6 with a 2.69 earned run average and 68 strikeouts. In Empire 8 play, she is 6-2 with a 1.91 ERA and 34 strikeouts.

Alfred is 26-10 overall and finished league play with a 9-5 conference mark. The Saxons are scheduled to wrap up their regular season on Tuesday, May 3, with a 3 p.m. home doubleheader against Keuka.

The Saxons begin play Friday in the four-team Empire 8 Conference Championship Tournament. AU is seeded fourth in the double-elimination tournament and will take on top-seeded host team Ithaca at noon Friday. The other opening-round game between Utica and Fisher will be at 10 a.m. The tournament champion will earn the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III playoffs.