GENESEO, NY – The Alfred University softball team swept soon-to-be Empire 8 foes, SUNY Geneseo on Wednesday evening in a road, non-conference doubleheader.
 
The Saxons (8-6, 0-0 Empire 8) won the first game, 5-3 and then score-crazy in the second, stamping an 11-0 win to the season over the Knights (3-11, 0-0 SUNYAC).
 
"We played well and battled hard last night and ended up with a split, so we reevaluated what we were doing at the plate and changed our approach a little and it paid off today," Head Coach Luke Wesneski said. "To sweep a quality team like Geneseo when all areas of our game were working well, is a good day. I'm proud of all of our girls today as they played a really tough 15 innings with excellent individual efforts that turned into excellent team contributions."
 
Game One
Alfred University – 5 | SUNY Geneseo – 3
 
Each team scored runs in both the opening two innings, keeping things tied 2-2. Samantha Vidal (Lake Worth, FL/Forest Hill) got to second on a Mya Wells (San Ramon, CA/California) ground out to third base but a throwing error by Geneseo's first base, allowed Vidal to get to third and reach home for the 1-0 lead. The Knights tied it in the bottom of the inning. Meghan Neto (Miami, FL/Doral Academy Charter) scored when Isabella Orozco (Burbank, CA/Village Christian) grounded out to second to make it a 2-1 lead before a Geneseo home run in the bottom of the inning tied things up.
 
The game remained tied throughout the regulation innings before the Saxons tacked on three runs in the top of the eighth inning. Vidal singled to center field to bring home Jessica Remm (Carmel, IN/Carmel) for the 3-2 lead. Abigail Gatza (Burlington, ON, Canada/Assumption Catholic) drove in what would be the game-winning run and insurance score when she hit a single to center field, bringing home Vidal for the win and Wells for good measure.
 
The Knights scored one more run in the bottom of the inning after a fly out to Vidal in right field and a fly out to Remm in center field. The run scored on a single up the middle but the game came to a close after a ground out to Kody Watson (Flagstaff, AZ/Coconino) at shortstop.
 
Megan Bennett (Athens, PA/Athens Area) picked up her sixth win in the pitching circle as she struck out three batters and walked one. Two of the runs scored in the 8.0 innings pitched were earned.
 
Vidal was 3-for-4 with two runs and one RBI while Wells was 2-for-4 with a double and a run. Neto registered the only other double for the Saxons and Wells had the only stolen base in game one.
 
Game Two
Alfred University – 11 | SUNY Geneseo – 0
 
Gatza drove in her second game-winning run of the day as she singled to center field to drive home Wells for what ultimately became the clinching run in the top of the first inning. Destiny Avila (Long Beach, CA/St. Anthony) singled to center field to send Gatza and Neto home for the early, 3-0 lead.
 
Wells drove home Watson in the top of the second to make it a 4-0 lead. The scoring slowed down until the top of the fifth inning when Neto doubled to bring home Ty Thomas (Bolingbrook, IL/Bolingbrook) for the 5-0 lead. Brielle Wark (East Amherst, NY/Williamsville East) tacked on an RBI when she doubled to center field to send Orozco home for the 6-0 advantage.
 
It wasn't until the seventh inning that the Saxons had their largest scoring spree, tacking on five runs to leave the Knights behind, 11-0. Remm singled to center field to bring Wark home for the 7-0 lead. Eileen Hein (Chicago, IL/Loyola Academy) scored on a wild pitch right before Remm scored when Vidal drove a shot up the middle that was mishandled by the Knight shortstop. Alexa Woluewich (Valley Stream, NY/Valley Stream Central) also got safely to first on an error by the shortstop that gave Vidal time to get home for the score, making it 10-0. Gatza closed out the scoreboard changes with a double to left field that nearly was a home run, giving Woluewich time to zip around the bases for the 11^th run of the game.
 
Kendall Steward (Kennedy, NY/Randolph) picked up the win as she went the distance inside of the circle as she only gave up four hits and walked two batters in the shutout. AU totaled four doubles in the nightcap and four stolen bases.
 
The Saxons will next open up competition at Harrington Field with a non-conference doubleheader with Fredonia on Tuesday, April 2 at 3:00pm and 5:00pm.