ALFRED, NY – The Alfred University softball team swept a non-conference doubleheader from visiting Keuka College Tuesday afternoon at Harrington Field. The Saxons took the opener, 3-2, and won 6-3 in the second game.
 
The Saxons improved to 28-10 and upped their winning streak to 14 games in their final tune-up before the Empire 8 Conference championship tournament next weekend in Ithaca.
 
In the opener, the Saxons jumped out to an early 2-0 lead when senior second baseman Dana Torchia (Pompton Plains, NJ/Pequannock Twp.) hit a two-out single in the bottom of the first to score junior third baseman Liz Thompson (Horseheads, NY/Horseheads) and senior outfielder Samantha Jauregui (Lindsay, CA/Lindsay).
 
AU added what proved to be the winning run in the second frame. With the bases loaded, Thompson reached on a fielder's choice, with junior Sophia Chiavatti (Tustin, CA/Foothill) scoring from third.
 
Keuka made it 3-2 with a pair of runs in the third of AU starter Chiavatti, who went one more inning before giving way to sophomore Kerri Keeler (Jamesville, NY/Jamesville-DeWitt). Keeler tossed three innings of one-hit scoreless relief to earn the win and improve to 11-6.
 
Torchia (two RBIs), Jauregui (one run) and junior outfielder Hannah Lawrence (Spencer, NY/Spencer-Van Etten) all went 2-for-3 for the Saxons.
 
In the second game, Alfred scored a pair of runs in the first. Jauregui and senior shortstop Nicole Maher (Newark, DE/Caravel Academy) singled with one out. Sophomore second baseman Haley Powers (Newark, DE/St. Georges Tech) singled, with Jauregui coming home on an error and Maher advancing to third and Powers to second. One out later, senior Jasmine Picini (Alexandria, VA/West Potomac) singled to score Maher.
 
Keuka got on the board in the fourth when the Wolfpack loaded the bases with no outs off Keeler. A sacrifice fly scored a run, ending Keeler's 13-inning scoreless streak, but she avoided further damage by striking out the next two Keuka hitters to end the inning.
 
The visitors tied the game the following inning, taking advantage of a one-out triple and a bloop single to center to make it 2-2.
 
AU answered in the bottom of the frame, scoring twice to reclaim the lead for good. Maher and freshman catcher Lu Krawczyk (West Seneca, NY/West Seneca West) singled and Picini doubled to bring in Maher and put runners on second and third. Freshman Amanda Shaffer (Sandyston, NJ/Kittattiny Regional), pinch hitting for Chiavatti, grounded out, scoring Krawczyk from third.
 
The Saxons took a 6-2 lead with a pair of runs in the sixth. Junior outfielder Brooke Hockeborn (Horseheads, NY/Horseheads), Thompson and Jauregui singled to load the bases with no outs before Maher reached on an error to bring home Hockeborn. Powers followed with a sacrifice fly to left to bring in Thompson.
 
Keeler allowed three earned runs on eight hits, striking out eight to earn the complete-game win and improve to 12-6. Jauregui (run) and Picini (two RBIs) each went 3-for-4 for the Saxons, while Maher (two runs scored, one driven in) and Hockeborn (run) each had two hits.
 
The Saxons will be seeded fourth and will play top-seeded host team Ithaca at noon on Friday. Fisher will play Utica at 10 a.m. in the other opening-round game of the double-elimination tournament, the winner of which earns the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs.