ALFRED, NY – The Alfred University softball team split an Empire 8 double-header at St. John Fisher College on Friday evening, winning game one in the top of the seventh inning and dropping a nightcap in the fifth inning.
 
The Saxons (11-10, 3-1 Empire 8) defeated the Cardinals (6-12, 3-1 Empire 8) in game one, 6-3 before dropping a 4-0 decision to the hosts on Friday. "We will take a split with Fisher any day, but we need to dig deeper in our game twos!" Head Coach Luke Wesneski said. "We are a good enough team to sweep today, but we lost some momentum and that's something we need to keep, especially against good teams. Our pitchers were fantastic today and we got some clutch hitting and the long ball when we desperately needed it. Finally, some key hitting after some missed opportunities earlier in the game. Proud of the girls! Big games tomorrow for our Senior Day."
 
Game One
Alfred University – 6  |  St. John Fisher College - 3
 
The Saxon bats were alive in the opening road game as AU totaled 13 hits compared to Fisher's four. Alyssa Guitron (San Bernardino, CA/Cajon) led the charge with a 3-for-4 performance with one run with Molly Lawson (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA/Trabuco Hills) and Mara Moore (Torrance, CA/West High) both were 2-for-3 as Lawson scored twice and Moore had one RBI.
 
The most important hit for Alfred University was when Tatiana Mejia (North Hills, CA/John F. Kennedy) homered to center field in the top of the seventh to bring Guitron home as it was credited as the game-winning run, having looked at a 3-2 Cardinal advantage before the shot. Her home run boosted AU to its second lead of the game, 4-3 and was only furthered when Allison O'Toole (Simi Valley, CA/Simi Valley) got her first home run of not only the season, but her first in her collegiate career, to make it 5-3 in the top of the seventh. Moore hit a double to left center field to bring Lawson home for the 6-3 final score as Megan Bennett (Athens, PA/Athens Area) led the defense to a three-up, three-out bottom of the seventh inning.
 
Lawson was the first Saxon to cross home plate as the Saxons held a 1-0 lead when Ashley Lugo (Hesperia, CA/Oak Hills) flied out to right field for the sacrificed RBI with Moore being put out on the play as well at third. Fisher tied the game in the bottom of the fourth, scoring on a throwing error.
 
Meghan Neto (Miami, FL/Doral Academy Charter) hit a single home run to left field in the top of the sixth for another Saxon lead, 2-1, before the Cardinals tied the game and took their first lead in the bottom of the sixth, scoring on a single that hit the ankle of Saxon pitcher, Arden Hatch (Orangevale, CA/St. Francis) and then being walked home with bases loaded. Fisher got both runs in with no outs in the inning as Bennett came in for relief. She struck out three batters in a row and all three were looking as strike three went past them.
 
Strikeouts were the theme of the day for game one as AU was struck out five times compared to the Cardinal batters being struck out 14 times in total. Bennett had four strikeouts while Hatch surpassed her collegiate career-high mark with 10 K's.
 
Game Two
Alfred University – 0  |  St. John Fisher College – 4
 
The offensive production by both teams dropped off in comparison to game one as Fisher totaled seven hits while AU had five. The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the fifth inning with Fisher scoring first during a bases-loaded situation. A grounder to Lugo gave enough time for the first run of the nightcap to reach home as Lugo threw out the second base runner at third base to Mejia. The next at-bat resulted in a two RBI double to left center field as the batter also got home on a throwing error for the 4-0 lead for the Cardinals.
 
Bennett got the start and tied her career record 10 strikeouts. The Saxons were only struck out four times in the outing.
 
The Saxons will next host Nazareth College on Saturday, April 9 with game times of 1:00pm and 3:00pm in Empire 8 action from Harrington Field. Saturday's games will also feature Senior Day celebrations in between the opener and nightcap.