HOBOKEN, NJ – The Alfred University softball team traveled to Hoboken, NJ, to take on Stevens in Friday afternoon and split the Empire 8 Conference doubleheader with the 22^nd-ranked Ducks.
 
After dropping the opener 3-1, AU broke a 3-3 fifth-inning tie with a four runs in the sixth en route to a 7-5 win in the nightcap. With the split, Alfred improves to 11-7 overall (3-1 Empire 8), while Stevens moves to 17-9 (4-2 E8).
 
In the second game, Alfred took a 1-0 lead in the first when senior third baseman Liz Thompson (Horseheads, NY/Horseheads) singled, moved third on a sacrifice and groundout and came in to score on a single by sophomore Amanda Shaffer (Sandyston, NJ/Kittattinny Regional).
 
Stevens went ahead 2-1 with a pair of runs in the third before AU reclaimed the lead with single runs in the fourth, on a solo home run by first-year second baseman Elena Ceja (Redondo Beach, CA/Redondo Beach Union), and fifth, on Thompson's solo blast.
 
The host Ducks knotted the game at 3-3 with a run in the bottom of the fifth before AU sent eight batters to the plate in the sixth and scored four runs, all with two outs, to take a 7-3 lead. Shaffer walked with one out ahead of Ceja's single and was put out at third when senior outfielder Hannah Lawrence (Spencer, NY/Spencer-Van Etten) reached on a fielder's choice. With two outs, sophomore outfielder Becca Alexander (Middletown, DE/Middletown) doubled to plate Ceja and Lawrence. Sophomore catcher Lu Krawczyk (West Seneca, NY/West Seneca West) walked and came in to score with Alexander on a triple to right by sophomore first baseman Kelley Staub (Eden, NY/Eden).
 
Stevens rallied in the bottom of the seventh, scoring twice to make it 7-5. The Ducks had the tying run at the plate before first-year Jillian Murray (Eden, NY/Eden) struck out Stevens' Katherine Tirabassi to end the game.
 
Thompson and Ceja each had a pair of hits, two RBIs and a run scored for the Saxons. Shaffer was 2-for-3 with an RBI and Alexander (run scored) and Staub each drove in two runs.
 
Junior pitcher Kerri Keeler (Jamesville, NY/Jamesville-DeWitt) started for AU and allowed three earned runs on six hits while striking out three over six innings to improve to 2-4. Murray took over in the seventh and allowed two runs on three hits, whiffing a pair.
 
In the opener, AU took the early lead with a run in the top of the first on an RBI single by junior Haley Powers (Newark DE/St. Georges Tech), which scored senior outfielder Brooke Hockeborn (Horseheads, NY/Horseheads) from third. Stevens answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame and never trailed again, tacking on an insurance run in the fifth.
 
AU had five hits in the game, with Powers, Hockeborn, Thompson, Murray and Ceja each belting singles.
 
Junior pitcher Shannon Schaefer (Westfield, NJ/Westfield) started for the Saxons and went four innings, allowing three earned runs on nine hits and striking out three to fall to 4-2 on the year. Sophomore Dominique D'Andrea (Waterford, NJ/St. Joseph) relieved and went two innings, allowing a base hit and striking out one.
 
AU is in action next on Saturday, April 8, for a 1 p.m. Empire 8 doubleheader at Elmira.