CLERMONT, FL – The Alfred University softball team swept a pair of games Wednesday on the fourth day of the Saxons' 12-game Spring Break trip to Florida.

AU knocked off Mount Ida, 9-1, before shutting out Monmouth College, 9-0. Alfred combined for 20 hits in the two games, both of which ended after six innings.

The Saxons (5-3) rapped out 11 hits (all singles) against Mount Ida, their most in eight games in Florida. Senior outfielder Hannah Lawrence (Spencer, NY/Spencer-Van Etten), hitting in the ninth spot, had three hits in three at-bats and scored three times for AU and junior pitcher Shannon Schaefer (Westfield, NJ/Westfield) collected the complete-game win, scattering seven hits and striking out eight to improve to 2-1.

Alfred fell behind early after Mount Ida plated a single run in the top of the first inning. The Saxons tied the game with a run in the second, with sophomore outfielder Amanda Shaffer (Sandyston, NJ/Kittattiny) singling to lead off, moving to second on a sacrifice, and coming in to score on a single by senior first baseman Sophia Chiavatti (Tustin, CA/Foothill).

The Saxons added three in the third. Lawrence singled to lead off, stole second and moved to third on an error before scoring on a single by senior third baseman Liz Thompson (Horseheads, NY/Horseheads). Thompson stole second and after senior outfielder Brooke Hockeborn (Horseheads, NY/Horseheads) reached on a fielder's choice, a double steal put runners on second and third with no outs. Two batters later, Schaefer belted a two-out single to score Thompson and Hockeborn and give the Saxons a 4-1 lead.

AU scored twice in the fourth. Hockeborn was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring in sophomore catcher Lea Georgatos (Emerson, NJ/Immaculate Conception) and with one out and the sacks still packed, Shaffer grounded out to score Thompson.

The eight-run rule ended the contest in walk-off fashion in the sixth, when AU plated three runs. Lawrence led off with a single, Thompson walked and Hockeborn singled to load the bases with no outs. Junior shortstop Haley Powers (Newark, DE/St. Georges Tech) singled to score Lawrence and Thompson. Hockeborn advanced to third on the play and scored the winning run on Shaffer's bunt single.

Powers, Shaffer and Schaefer each had two RBIs, while Thompson (two steals) and Hockeborn each scored twice and drove in a run.
Thompson belted her fourth home run of the season against Monmouth, and junior Kerri Keeler (Jamesville, NY/Jamesville-DeWitt) tossed a shutout for her first win of the season.

After a scoreless first, AU got on the board with three runs in the top of the second. Sophomore Dominique D'Andrea (Waterford, NJ/St. Joseph) singled and later scored after Chiavatti and first-year second baseman Elena Ceja (Redondo Beach, CA/Redondo Beach Union) reached on errors. Thompson singled to drive in both runners and give AU the early three-run advantage.

The Saxons put two more runs up in the fourth, loading the bases with no outs on a Lawrence single, a Thompson walk and a fielder's choice that put Hockeborn on first. After Powers lined out, Monmouth seemed poised to get out of the jam when Lawrence was thrown out at home on a fielder's choice for the second out of the frame. D'Andrea came up with the clutch hit, however, singling to bring in Thompson and Hockeborn for the 5-0 lead.

Alfred blew the game open in the sixth. Chiavatti led off with a single and Ceja sacrificed, reaching on an error and moving to second while Chiavatti advanced to third. Lawrence followed with a single to drive in Chiavatti before Thompson blasted a home run to drive in three.

Thompson finished 2-2 with two runs scored and five driven in. Her home run was the 25^th of her career, just one behind AU record-holder Alison Wickwire's 26 (2012-15). D'Andrea was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored and Chiavatti (2-for-3) and Ceja each scored twice.

Keeler was dominant in the circle for the Saxons, allowing Monmouth just three singles while striking out four and walking one to improve to 1-2 on the season.
           
AU returns to action with two games Thursday (March 9): at 8 a.m. against SUNY Oneonta and 10:30 a.m. against Pitt-Greensburg.