KISSIMMEE, FL – The Alfred University softball team totaled 16 runs as they defeated both Simmons University and Northland College on Thursday afternoon at the Fortune Road Athletic Complex.
 
The Saxons (4-4, 0-0 Empire 8) defeated Simmons in five innings, 8-0 before topping Northland in eight innings, 8-6. "Getting two wins is always great, but there are many things we need to clean up, to continue being competitive," Head Coach Luke Wesneski said. "Hats-off to our pitchers today and it was also nice to see some key players work through some things. We continue to see some really good things from this fairly young group, but we are looking for more consistently and focus. We get another opportunity to do that tomorrow!"
 
Game One (Five Innings)
Alfred University – 8 | Simmons University – 0
 
Megan Bennett (Athens, PA/Athens Area) picked up the shutout win as she pitched all 5.0 innings with six strikeouts and only two hits and one walk.
 
Jessica Remm (Carmel, IN/Carmel) and Samantha Vidal (Lake Worth, FL/Forest Hill) both went 2-for-3 from the plate while Remm totaled two runs and Vidal had one with an RBI. Mya Wells (San Ramon, CA/California) added two runs and one RBI. Abigail Gatza (Burlington, ON, Canada/Assumption Catholic) had two RBI and one run. Both Megan Neto (Miami, FL/Doral Academy Charter) and Kody Watson (Flagstaff ,AZ/Coconino) added RBI hits while Jade Rhys Babas (Fairfield, CA/Angelo Rodriguez) tacked on one run along with Brielle Wark (East Amherst, NY/Williamsville East) who ran in the walk-off score in the bottom of the fifth.
 
Remm, Wells, Gatza and Neto all had doubles while Gatza and Paris Guzman (Santa Fe Springs, CA/Santa Fe) had sacrificed flies. Vidal stole base three times while Wells and Wark added base robberies as well.
 
Game Two (Eight Innings)
Alfred University – 8 | Northland College – 6
 
The Saxons held a 5-0 lead over the Jills after three innings of play, scoring three times in the top of the third. Northland responded with five runs in the bottom of the fourth and another in the fifth to take a 6-5 lead over AU. Alfred tied the game at 6-6 in the top of the sixth before Wells, as the international tiebreaker runner starting the inning on second base, scored when Destiny Avila (Long Beach, CA/St. Anthony's) grounded out for the lead-earning RBI. Vidal singled with a short bunt down the third base line, beating the throw and allowing Remm time to add the insurance run, making it 8-6.
 
Bennett, after checking back in to pitch three innings, struck out seven total batters during that time to pick up her second win of the day. In those three innings, she gave up no hits and walked one batter. In the bottom of the eighth, Bennett struck out the first two batters that kept the tiebreaker runner at second base. The final out was made by Alexa Woulewich (Valley Stream, NY/Valley Stream Central) at first base after a line drive was snagged out of the air by her glove, closing the deal.
 
The Saxons will next close their Spring Break training trip with a game against defending NCAA Division III Champions and current #1-seeded Trine University on Friday, March 8 at 1:30pm before taking on Wittenberg University at 4:00pm.