ALFRED, NY – Visiting Penn State Behrend swept a non-conference doubleheader from the Alfred University softball team Tuesday evening taking the opener, 6-3, and following with an 8-4 victory in the nightcap.

In the opener, Behrend (13-11) took a 2-0 lead in the first and added four more in the third to take a 6-0 lead. Alfred (13-9) plated three runs in the bottom of the third, all with no outs, to cut its deficit in half, but failed to score the rest of the way.

Senior third baseman Liz Thompson (Horseheads, NY/Horseheads) was 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles and a run scored for the Saxons. Senior outfielder Brooke Hockeborn (Horseheads, NY/Horseheads) hit an RBI triple and scored on a two-run home run by junior shortstop Haley Powers (Newark, DE/St. Georges Tech), who finished 2-for-4 at the plate.

Junior Shannon Schaefer (Westfield, NJ/Westfield) took the pitching loss for AU, going 2 1/3 innings and allowing five earned runs on six hits and striking out two to fall to 4-3 on the year. First-year Jillian Murray (Eden, NY/Eden) pitched 4 2/3 innings of relief and allowed an earned run on four hits while striking out two.

In the nightcap, Behrend again jumped out early, scoring three in the top of the first. Alfred answered with single runs in the second, on Thompson's solo home run, and second, on a solo shot by sophomore Dominique D'Andrea (Waterford, NJ/St. Joseph) to cut the Lions' lead to one (3-2) after two.

After a scoreless third, Behrend plated two runs in the fourth to go up 5-2 and added another in the fifth to take a four-run lead. Alfred answered in the bottom of the fifth, scoring twice to make it 6-4. Thompson led off with a blast to center, her second homer of the game, and senior first baseman Sophia Chiavatti (Tustin, CA/Foothill) drove in Hockeborn with a single.

Behrend got both runs back in the sixth to make it 8-4 and held on to complete the sweep, the first by a visitor in 23 double headers played at Harrington Park since its opening midway through the 2013 season.

Thompson was 2-for-4 with two home runs; Hockeborn was 2-for-4 with a run; Powers was 3-for-4 with a double; and D'Andrea was 2-for-3 with a home run.

Junior pitcher Kerri Keeler (Jamesville, NY/Jamesville-DeWitt) took the loss for AU, allowing five earned runs on nine hits and striking out one in four innings to fall to 3-5. First-year Jessica Wilcox (Forestville, NY/Pine Valley) allowed three runs (two earned) on one hit while striking out two over 1 1/3 innings, and D'Andrea finished up, tossing 1 2/3 innings of hitless shutout ball, striking out one.

Alfred is in action next on Wednesday, April 12, when the Saxons welcome Ithaca College to Harrington Field at 3 p.m. for a key Empire 8 Conference doubleheader. The teams are tied atop the E8 standings with 5-1 league marks.