ALFRED, NY – The Alfred University softball team split a pair of non-conference games with Buffalo State College on Wednesday evening, winning the first and falling in the second due to a walk-off home run.
 
The Saxons (13-11-1, 5-1 Empire 8) and the Bengals (16-8, 5-1 SUNYAC) battled back-and-forth early in the first game, before AU claimed the win, 6-5. Then, the Saxons dropped the nightcap, 9-8 after fighting back to tie the game in the top of the seventh inning. "Turned out to be a great day for softball and two great games! One thing about our girls: they are all heart and never out of a game," Head Coach Luke Wesneski said. "We battled back to win game one and just couldn't muster enough offense late to pull out game two against a fantastic hitting Buff State team. We knew they could hit and our goal was to hit with them. I think we did that for the most part, and I think today was super beneficial for both programs as we both move forward in our conference play!"
 
Game One
Alfred University – 6 | Buffalo State – 5
 
AU scored the game-winning run in the top of the fifth inning as they never lost the lead on Wednesday evening.
 
Ashley Lugo (Hesperia, CA/Oak Hills) scored first when she got to third base while a fielding error at first base was made, giving her time to round the base and cross home plate. Allison O'Toole (Simi Valley, CA/Simi Valley) drove home Jessica Remm (Carmel, IN/Carmel) with a single to center field, putting AU up, 2-0. Buffalo State tied it up in the bottom of the inning.
 
In the top of the second, the Saxons scored two more as Mya Wells (San Ramon, CA/California) doubled to center field to bring home Isabella Orozco (Burbank, CA/Village Christian) and Isabella Carrillo (Van Nuys, CA/Birmingham Community Charter). Then, in the top of the third inning, Arden Hatch (Orangevale, CA/St. Francis) singled to center field to send Meghan Neto (Miami, FL/Doral Academy Charter) home for the 5-2 advantage.
 
The Bengals scored one in the bottom of the third and another two in the bottom of the fourth to tie up the game, 5-5. Neto scored the winning run after a fielding error by the Bengal shortstop.
 
Hatch picked up the win in the circle, striking out six Bengals in 6.0 innings. Megan Bennett (Athens, PA/Athens Area) earned a save as she pitched the final inning with one strikeout and two ground-outs.
 
The Saxon batting lineup produced hits in almost every spot, totaling 11 in the game while the middle of the Bengal lineup was hitless as the team combined for eight.
 
Game Two
Alfred University – 8 | Buffalo State – 9
 
Much like the first game, it was a back-and-forth battle on the scoreboard near the end as AU scored in every inning but the first two, whereas the Bengals scored six in the bottom of the forth, two in the sixth and the home run in the bottom of the seventh. The Saxons were first on the board when Wells doubled to center field to bring Carrillo home from first base in the top of the third. Lugo then laid down a bunt to score Wells on the sacrificed play, making it 2-0.
 
Abigail Gatza (Burlington, ON, Canada/Assumption Catholic) doubled to right center field to bring O'Toole home in the following inning, making it a 3-0 Saxon lead, just before the Bengals tacked six runs on the board in the bottom of the inning.
 
Alfred scored one run with bases loaded when Gatza walked to push Remm home in the top of the fifth. In the top of the sixth, Carrillo scored again when she advanced to third on a wild pitch and then scored on a bad throw by the Buff. State catcher, making it 6-5 in favor of the hosts. Lugo tied the game with yet another sacrificed bunt to score Wells, closing out the inning with the 6-6 level line.
 
Buffalo State pulled back ahead with two runs in the bottom of the sixth, making it 8-6. Carrillo hit only her second collegiate career triple in the top of the seventh to score Molly Lawson (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA/Trabuco Hills), just before she scored on a wild pitch to tie the game.
 
A two-out, one run, Bengal homer in the bottom of the inning closed out the game and the series for the split.
 
The Saxons will next have a one-day break before hitting the road again, traveling to Elmira College for an Empire 8 double-header on Friday, April 21 with games at 3:00pm and 5:00pm.