CLERMONT, FL – The Alfred University softball team split its third day of playing during Spring Break as the Saxons defeated SUNY Potsdam and fell in extra innings to Messiah University on Tuesday night.

The Saxons (3-2, 0-0 Empire 8) defeated fellow New York school, Potsdam in the first game of the day. Topping the Bears, 8-2 during a late evening matchup. Then, AU fell in extra innings to Messiah University, 3-2 in eight innings, capping off a long day, ending play closer to the stroke of midnight than originally anticipated.

Game One:
The Saxons and Bears squared off in the second inning as both teams placed two runs in the books and kept the score tied until the top of the fourth when the designated visiting team, AU, scored the game-winning run when Meghan Neto (Miami, FL/Doral Academy Charter) flew a ball out to centerfield, allowing Ashley Lugo (Hesperia, CA/Oak Hills) a chance to tag up at third and sprint across the home plate.

For insurance, the Saxons tacked on five runs in the top of the fifth inning with the first being scored in non-typical fashion. Molly Lawson (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA/Trabuco Hills) was the Saxon runner on first base while Gillian Flint (Caledonia, NY/Caledonia-Mumford) was on third. Both runners left base for a chance to steal as Lawson drew attention at second, allowing Flint to dash home for the 4-2 lead. Lawson was the next to score when Lugo put a ball in play, reaching first on a fielder's choice. Isabella Carrillo (Van Nuys, CA/Birmingham Community Charter) scored on a wild pitch before Lugo scored when Alyssa Guitron (San Bernardino, CA/Cajon) lined a single up the middle. The scoring rampage ended when Neto crossed home on a Mya Wells (San Ramon, CA/California) single, all but ending the game right then and there.

Mikala Perez (Pomona, CA/Diamond Ranch) picked up her second win of the week as she gave up one earned run and six hits while striking out of of the 21 batters faced. She pitched 5.0 innings while Megan Bennett (Athens, PA/Athens Area) pitched the remaining 2.0, striking out the seven batters she faced three times while only giving up one hit and walking one.

Alexa Woluewich (Valley Stream, NY/Valley Stream) had the game's only double while Allison O'Toole (Simi Valley, CA/Simi Valley) added a sacrificed bunt to Neto's sacrificed flyball. Lugo had three stolen bases in the contest while Flint added two and Lawson contributed the one. Four Saxons were hit by pitches from the Bears.


Game Two:
The nightcap got off to a late start with intermittent showers with one short rain delay. All of the regulation runs were scored in the third inning as Messiah got on the books first with a two-RBI double down the left field line, making it a 2-0 lead for the designated visitors. AU responded when O'Toole hit a single to the shortstop sending Carrillo home for an unearned run. The next at-bat, Lugo sprinted home on a wild pitch, knotting it up as a 2-2 game.

The seven-inning game ended its regulation with the previously-mentioned score, forcing extra innings with the international tiebreaker as a runner was placed on second base to begin the inning. Messiah got the game-winning run on a frantic play at home and then closed out the game with three back-to-back outs.

Arden Hatch (Orangevale, CA/St. Francis) went the distance in the pitcher's circle as she threw 118 pitches in 8.0 innings with nine strikeouts, three hits and three earned runs.

The Saxons will next play Illinois College on Thursday, March 10 at 10:00am and then Ohio Northern University at 12:30pm. Both games are to be played at the Hancock Recreational Complex.