CLERMONT, FL – The Alfred University softball team dropped a pair of games on Friday during its second to last day of Spring Break games, falling to SUNY New Paltz and College of Saint Benedict.

The Saxons (3-4, 0-0 Empire 8) were narrowly edged by fellow New York team, New Paltz, 5-4 while dropping a five-inning, 10-2 loss to Saint Benedict from Minnesota. "We haven't been playing our best softball on this trip," Head Coach Luke Wesneski said. "We know it's there and we need to trust the process and figure a few things out, which we will. The girls know that they need to stay the course, but it has been a little frustrating for them because they demand perfection. We have a great group of young ladies and they will do wonderful things on the field. Today just wasn't our day, but tomorrow is a new one!"


Game One:
The Saxons and Hawks had a back-and-forth battle in the later innings of the contest as AU was first on the board with a 2-0 lead after three innings of play. The designated home team Saxons scored when Alyssa Guitron (San Bernardino, CA/Cajon) hit a single to bring Amber Swain (Sacramento, CA/Rio Americano) home and after a misplay from the centerfielder of New Paltz, Isabella Carrillo (Van Nuys, CA/Birmingham Community Charter) snuck onto home plate.

The Hawks cut the lead in half in the top of the fourth with a one-run single, just before Swain drove home Darby McEnery (Corona, CA/Norco) to keep a two-run advantage, heading into the top of the fifth. New Paltz took it's first lead of the day with four, unanswered runs, scoring two in the fifth and another two in the seventh, holding a 5-3 advantage with one-half inning remaining for AU to make a comeback.

Facing back-to-back outs to start the bottom of the seventh inning, Ashley Lugo (Hesperia, CA/Oak Hills) got on base and then stole second while Guitron was up to bat. Guitron hit a single to bring Lugo home while advancing to second on the attempted throw to stop the comeback score. Unfortunately for the Saxons, the Hawks closed out the win with a groundout to third base.


Game Two:
AU and Saint Benedict's was a scoreless contest through the first two and a half innings as the Saxons were the designated visiting team in the nightcap. CSB scored six runs in the bottom of the third inning before AU got on the scoreboard.

Allison O'Toole (Simi Valley, CA/Simi Valley) grounded out to second base that allowed the opportunity for Mya Wells (San Ramon, CA/California) to spring home, making it 6-1 in favor of the Minnesota team. Molly Lawson (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA/Trabuco Hills) closed out the scoring tallies of AU when she scored after a misplay by the left fielder. Saint Benedict's scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to activate the mercy rule and close out the game.

The Saxons will next play Catholic University at 10:15am on Saturday, March 12 and Geneva College (PA) at 12:15pm at the Hancock Recreational Complex, right before hopping a plane back to New York.