ALFRED, NY – The No. 1 seeded Alfred University softball team was eliminated from the Empire 8 Softball Championship Tournament on Friday evening after dropping two games at Harrington Field.
 
The Saxons (25-14-1, 14-2 Empire 8) fell in eight innings to No. 2 seeded Cardinals (27-11, 12-4 Empire 8) of St. John Fisher University, 3-1. They then dropped a seven-inning, walk-off decision to the No. 3 seeded Gators (22-17, 11-5 Empire 8), 5-4.
 
Game One (Eight Innings)
Alfred University – 1 | St. John Fisher University – 3
 
Fisher struck first in the top of the fourth with an RBI single to center field. The Saxons responded with a Meghan Neto (Miami, FL/Doral Academy Charter) single to right center field in the bottom of the fourth that scored Gillian Flint (Caledonia, NY/Caledonia-Mumford), knotting the scoreboard at 1-1, which remained like that until the top of the eighth inning.
 
The Cardinals hit a two RBI single to pull ahead, 3-1 to close out the game.
 
The Saxons totaled six hits compared to Fisher's eight. Arden Hatch (Orangevale, CA/St. Francis) recorded a game-high eight strikeouts with four hits and a walk, giving up one earned run. Megan Bennett (Athens, PA/Athens Area) added four K's with four hits and two earned runs.
 
Game Two
Alfred University – 4 | Russell Sage College – 5
 
The Saxons had the early lead that spanned 6.5 innings of play in their second game of the day. They got out to an early 3-1 lead after one inning of play. As the designated visitors, the Saxons got on the board first with a Jessica Remm (Carmel, IN/Carmel) home run that sent Isabella Carrillo (Van Nuys, CA/Birmingham Community Charter) home in the process. Neto then singled to left center field to bring Allison O'Toole (Simi Valley, CA/Simi Valley) home for the 3-0 lead.
 
Sage scored its solo run in the bottom of the inning when a runner was able to cross home on a throwing error, just before the Saxon defense recovered the ball and made the third out at home, preventing the second run from scoring.
 
AU scored its fourth and final run in the top of the fifth inning when Abigail Gatza (Burlington, ON, Canada/Assumption Catholic) hit a sacrificed flyball to right field, allowing Ashley Lugo (Hesperia, CA/Oak Hills) time to tag up and score for the 4-1 lead.
 
The Gatos hit an RBI double in the bottom of the inning to make it, 4-2 in favor of AU.
 
A two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh tied the score up and a single up the middle gave Russell Sage the walk-off win. The Gators will face the Cardinals in Saturday's championship finals on Saturday at Harrington Field.
 
The Saxons totaled 12 hits compared to Sage's eight as Remm and Lugo both went 3-for-4. Hatch and Bennett both added another three strikeouts in the final game.