WEEHAWKEN, NJ – The Alfred University softball team toppled both #4 Nazareth College and #1 Stevens Institute of Technology during the second day of the Empire 8 Championships in which both games saw extra innings.
 
The Saxons (22-19, 9-5 Empire 8) first went 10 innings against Nazareth in which Elena Ceja (Redondo Beach, CA/Redondo Beach Union) drove in Ashley Lugo (Hesperia, CA/Oak Hills) in the bottom of the inning for the walk-off run. Then, they took on the host Ducks as they battled for over three hours in 11 innings where Tati Mejia (North Hills, CA/John F. Kennedy) drove Allison O'Toole (Simi Valley, CA/Simi Valley) across the plate in the bottom of the inning. Both Nazareth and Stevens were eliminated by the Saxons as Alfred now looks to take on St. John Fisher College on Sunday.
 
"It was a great day to be a Saxon for sure. Everyone got some bonus softball and it was just a fun day all around," Head Coach Luke Wesneski said. "Everyone from 1-16 contributed today. The pitchers and the defense were great again while Lu [Krawczyk], Elena [Ceja] and Tati [Mejia] came up with clutch hits. I am very proud of all of them for staying tough and resilient throughout a long day. We are looking forward to tomorrow and hope the weather holds off."
 
Game One Recap – vs. #3 seeded Nazareth College – Win: 3-2
 
The Saxons got on the board first in the bottom of the opening inning. Alyssa Guitron (San Bernardino, CA/Cajon) got on first base with a single up the middle. She reached second as Lugo singled a shot to center field, putting Saxons on first and second bases. Ceja gave each runner a base on her sacrificed bunt, making it runners on third and second with two outs. Jillian Murray (Eden, NY/Eden) drove a shot right at the Nazareth pitcher to score Guitron and give the Saxons the 1-0 start.
 
In the bottom of the fourth inning, AU struck again as Kelley Staub (Eden, NY/Eden) reached home when the Golden Flyer catcher threw to third base, off target and to left field, allowing Staub to book it home for the 2-0 advantage. Naz tied the game with a homerun to left centerfield that was nearly robbed by centerfielder, Becca Alexander (Middletown, DE/Middletown) who got a glove on it but the short fence at Weehawken Waterfront Park interfered and allowed the two-run, tying score to take place.
 
The Saxons and Golden Flyers would remain neck-and-neck for the next four innings until the bottom of the 10th. Lugo singled to right centerfield as the second batter for AU. She then proceeded to steal not just second base, but third while Ceja was at the plate. With a full, three balls and two strike count that lasted seven pitches, on the eighth, Ceja ripped a shot off the centerfield fence to drive home the game-winning run after two hours of battling.
 
Lugo was 3-for-5 at the plate with her one run while Staub also showed strong with her bat, going 2-for-4 and a run. Murray started the day in the pitcher's circle for the Saxons as she pitched 6.0 innings, striking out one batter. Jessica Wilcox (Forestville, NY/Pine Valley) pitched the remaining 4.0 innings with five strikeouts and only one hit.
 
Game Two Recap – vs. #1 seeded Stevens Institute of Technology – Win: 4-3
 
It took five, scoreless innings before either team lit up the scoreboard. Despite the Ducks being the #1 seed and host of the tournament, they were designated the away team for the Saxons' nightcap. Moreta Dyke (Milesburg, PA/Bald Eagle Area) started the Saxons off in the circle as she went 2.1 innings, giving up five hits and no runs. Wilcox came in after and pitched the remaining 8.2 innings, striking out another five batters while only giving up two earned runs out of the Ducks' three.
 
Stevens was the first team to score in the top of the fifth, giving them a 1-0 lead before, in the bottom of the inning, Staub forced another bad throw from an opponent as she was put in a rundown situation between second and third base. During the rundown, the Stevens third base player overthrew to second base and sent the toss sailing into right field, allowing Staub to round third and slide home for the 1-1 tying run. Steven retook the lead in the top of the sixth with a run scoring off a passed ball.
 
In the bottom of the sixth, Lu Krawczyk (West Seneca, NY/West Seneca West) faced a one-ball, two-strike count and smacked the fourth pitch to left centerfield for a two-run homer as she drove home Alana Eaton (Corning, NY/Corning-Painted Post) and gave the Saxons their first lead of the nightcap, 3-2. The Stevens batters stayed persistent as they crossed home one more time on a sacrificed flyball to left field, tying the score, 3-3.
 
Both teams displayed multiple scoring chances in the eighth, ninth and tenth innings but both defenses held strong. In the bottom of the 11^th inning, however, O'Toole was placed on first base after taking a shot to the back from the Stevens pitcher. Krawczyk advanced O'Toole with a SAC bunt before Mejia lasered a shot up the middle, allowing O'Toole to light the tires around third and home before the pass from the outfield got there.
 
Stevens recorded 11 hits on the day compared to Alfred's four. One strong difference was Wilcox only walked one batter in the second game while the Ducks pitchers walked five, with four coming from Marissa Cappello. The Saxons defense also stranded Ducks on the bases 13 times while Saxons were only left standing six times.
 
Krawczyk led the bats with two RBIs on her home run.
 
The Saxons will next play St. John Fisher College at 11AM on Sunday afternoon.