CLERMONT, FL – The Alfred University softball team split a pair of games Friday on the final day of the Saxons' Spring Break trip to Florida.

AU senior third baseman Liz Thompson (Horseheads, NY/Horseheads) homered in the first game, a 3-1 win over Elizabethtown, tying the school's career record. Alfred played RPI in the second game, and lost 1-0 to end the 12-game season-opening Florida trip with a 7-5 record.

In the opener, Alfred took the lead with a run in the bottom of the first. Thompson led off with a walk and senior outfielder Brooke Hockeborn (Horseheads, NY/Horseheads) and sophomore Dominique D'Andrea (Waterford, NJ/St. Joseph) both singled on sacrifice bunt attempts to load the bases with no outs. One batter later, senior first baseman Sophia Chiavatti (Tustin, CA/Foothill) singled to center to plate Thompson.

The Blue Jays tied the game with a run in the third but the Saxons reclaimed the lead two innings later. Hockeborn singled leading off the fifth, moved to third on a single by sophomore outfielder Amanda Shaffer (Sandyston, NJ/Kittattiny) and scored in Chiavatti's single to left.

Thompson closed out the scoring with a one-out solo home run to left. It was the 25^th home run of Thompson's career, which ties her with Alison Wickwire (2012-15) for the AU all-time mark.

The three runs were more than enough for junior pitcher Shannon Schaefer (Westfield, NJ/Westfield), who went the distance, allowing an earned run on seven hits and striking out six to improve to 3-1 on the year.

Thompson finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Chiavatti (two RBIs) and Hockeborn (run) each 2-for-3 to help lead the Saxons' eight-hit attack.
Against RPI, the Saxons were held to two hits: a single in the second by first-year second baseman Jillian Murray (Eden, NY/Eden) and a sixth-inning single off the bat of Shaffer.

RPI won the game with a walk-off sacrifice fly with one out in the seventh. Senior pitcher Kerri Keeler (Jamesville, NY/Jamesville-DeWitt) was the hard-luck loser for the Saxons, falling to 1-4 after allowing one run on just four hits in a complete-game effort.
           
AU is in action next on Friday, March 24, for a 3:30 p.m. doubleheader at Wilkes University. After a March 25 doubleheader at Keuka (1 p.m. start), the Saxons play their home opener, a March 28 twin bill (3 p.m. start) against visiting Clarkson. AU opens Empire 8 Conference play March 31, with a 3:30 p.m. doubleheader at home against Utica.