ROCHESTER, NY – The Alfred University softball team split with Nazareth College on Friday evening as both teams opened up Empire 8 action.
 
The Saxons (3-8-1, 1-1 Empire 8) fell in the opening game, 7-4, while it was the Golden Flyers (6-5, 1-1 Empire 8) that suffered the defeat in the nightcap, ending after five innings of play as AU put up a score of 14-3.

"We are grateful to finally get on the field and compete. Conference play is always competitive and you need to have your A game for 14 innings and it just took us too long to find our groove in game one," Head Coach Luke Wesneski said. "I was happy to see the girls respond in game two and get the bats heated up. We will take the split and move forward and make adjustments. Looking forward to hosting Fisher tomorrow!"
 
Game One
Alfred University – 4  |  Nazareth College – 7
 
The Saxons were first on the board as Mya Wells (San Ramon, CA/California), facing a 0-1 strike-count as she was the top of the lineup in the top of the first inning, smashed a home run to right field. Naz tied it up in the bottom of the third with a solo home run and tacked on two more runs on a single to center field. The Flyers ultimately put the game away in the bottom of the fifth with a three-run home run, making it 6-1 in favor of the hosts.
 
Ty Thomas (Bolingbrook, IL/Bolingbrook) doubled to center field to bring home Meghan Neto (Miami, FL/Doral Academy Charter) in the top of the sixth. Naz added one final run in the bottom of the same inning, making the score, 7-2.
 
Wells had her second home run of the game in the top of the seventh. Ashley Lugo (Hesperia, CA/Oak Hills) was right behind Wells in the lineup and she swung at the first pitch, connecting on it and sending it over the left center fence for her first homer of the season. Unfortunately for the Saxons, the scoring ended and so did the game.
 
Megan Bennett (Athens, PA/Athens Area) had six strikeouts for AU but picked up the loss with 10 hits and six earned runs.
 
Game Two (Five Innings)
Alfred University – 14  |  Nazareth College – 3
 
Alfred scored first again as Jessica Remm (Carmel, IN/Carmel) hit a sacrificed fly to right field in the top of the first, which allowed Wells to tag up and reach home for the 1-0 lead. In the next inning, Lugo singled up the middle to bring home Neto and Allison O'Toole (Simi Valley, CA/Simi Valley) for the 3-0 advantage.
 
Naz battled back to tie it up with a run in the bottom of the inning and two in the bottom of the third.
 
Isabella Carrillo (Van Nuys, CA/Birmingham Community Charter) drove in what would ultimately be the game-winning run in the top of the fourth inning when she singled up the middle to bring Neto across home plate. Wells put down a sacrificed bunt to bring home O'Toole, making it a 5-3 Saxon game. Lugo brought Carrillo home as she reached first on a fielder's choice with the Naz third base player making a throwing error. She then crossed the plate herself when Remm doubled to right field.
 
In the top of the fifth, the scoring spree continued with seven runs going up on the scoreboard. Neto hit a two-run home run that scored Gillian Flint (Caledonia, NY/Caledonia-Mumford), advancing the score to 9-3 in favor of the guests. With bases loaded, O'Toole scored on a wild pitch. Lugo walked to get on first during the same at-bat that scored O'Toole, but ball four was also a wild pitch that allowed Carrillo to cross home. Remm singled to the second base Naz player that brought both Wells and Lugo home, making it a 13-3 game. The final run scored in the nightcap was when Arden Hatch (Orangvale, CA/St. Francis) doubled to left center field to bring Remm home.
 
Both Neto and O'Toole had three hits in the game while Wells and Remm had two. O'Toole was a perfect, 3-for-3. Remm totaled four RBI with Lugo adding three and Neto tacking on two. Neto and O'Toole also tied for runs with three each as Carrillo, Wells and Lugo each had two.
 
The Saxon defense, led by pitcher, Hatch, didn't commit a single error while Hatch had four strikeouts.
 
The Saxons will next host St. John Fisher University on Saturday, April 8 with game one starting at 1:00pm at Harrington Field.