CLERMONT, FL – The Alfred University softball team beat Pitt-Greensburg, 9-3, in the second of two games the Saxons played Thursday on their Spring Break trip to Florida. The win salvaged a split for the Saxons, who earlier in the day dropped a 6-1 decision to SUNY Oneonta.

AU (6-4) took an early lead against Pitt-Greensburg, plating a run in the top of the first. Senior third baseman Liz Thompson (Horseheads, NY/Horseheads) singled and moved to second on a fielder's choice and stole third before coming in to score on a single by sophomore outfielder Amanda Shaffer (Sandyston, NJ/Kittattiny).

Pitt-Greensburg bounced back with two runs in the bottom of the frame to go ahead, but the lead was short-lived, as the Saxons responded with four in the top of the second. Senior Sophia Chiavatti (Tustin, CA/Foothill) doubled leading off and stole third before scoring when Thompson reached on an error. With two outs, sophomore Dominique D'Andrea (Waterford, NJ/St. Joseph) walked and moved to third when junior shortstop Haley Powers (Newark, DE/St. Georges Tech) reached on an error. Thompson scored on the play to put the Saxons back on top and Shaffer followed with a double to plate D'Andrea and Powers and give the AU the 5-2 advantage.

After Pitt-Greensburg scored a run in the fourth to make it 5-3, AU blew the game open with four runs in the sixth. Thompson and first-year Jillian Murray (Eden, NY/Eden), who had come in to pitch in relief of D'Andrea in the bottom of the second, reached on errors. After a groundout, Shaffer singled to drive in Thompson and Murray scored on a passed ball. Sophomore outfielder Becca Alexander (Middletown, DE/Middletown) singled and moved to second on a passed ball before Chiavatti singled to drive in Shaffer and Alexander.

Shaffer was 3-for-5 with four RBIs and a run scored. Chavatti was 3-for-4 with a run scored and two driven in, while Thompson scored three times.

Murray went 4 2/3 innings in relief of D'Andrea (two unearned runs allowed), giving up one run (unearned) on three hits and striking out six to improve to 2-0 on the year. Junior Shannon Schaefer (Westfield, NJ/Westfield) relieved Murray with two on and two outs in the sixth and earned the save, tossing 1 1/3 innings of hitless shutout ball.

Earlier in the day, Oneonta took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first before Alfred responded with its lone run of the game in the bottom half of the inning. With two outs, Powers singled and came in to score on a D'Andrea's double.

The score remained 2-1 until the fifth, when Oneonta scored a run. The Red Dragons added two runs in the sixth and another in the seventh to close out the scoring. AU had its chances, totaling eight hits, but the Saxons left 11 runners on base.
 
Chiavatti went 2-for-3 and Thompson and D'Andrea each hit doubles for Alfred. Junior pitcher Kerri Keeler (Jamesville, NY/Jamesville-DeWitt) took the loss, allowing three earned runs on five hits and striking g out two to fall to 1-3. Schaefer pitched two innings in relief, allowing three runs (one earned) on four hits.
           
AU wraps up its Spring Break trip with two games Friday (March 10): at 9 a.m. against Elizabethtown and 11:30 a.m. against RPI.