ROCHESTER, NY – The No. 2 seeded Alfred University softball team entered the winners' bracket of the Empire 8 Championship Tournament after a walk-off win over No. 5 Nazareth University on Thursday afternoon at St. John Fisher University.

"Big win today against Naz!" Assistant Coach Cassie Reed MBA '23 said. "We started off a little slow, but came alive in the second inning. I'm so proud of these girls, and I can't wait to see what they do in this tournament."

The Saxons (29-9, 18-4 Empire 8) closed out the win with a walk-off home run from Meghan Neto (Miami, FL/Doral Academy Charter) in the bottom of the sixth inning for the 11-3 mercy rule victory. "I didn't realize at first I walked the game off, I was just excited to get back to home plate and celebrate with my teammates," Neto said. "They were screaming from the moment I made contact, and that's what I live for!"

After the Golden Flyers (21-14, 14-8 Empire 8) went up, 2-0 in the top of the first inning, the Saxons opened the flood gates in the bottom of the second inning, scoring eight runs with seven of them coming in while facing a two-out situation.

Molly Whitmyer (Enola, PA/Trinity) was the first Saxon on the board with a solo home run to left field. The ball was hit so hard that it landed deep in the Fisher javelin throwing sector. Delaney Prather (North East, PA/North East) singled to center field that sent Ally Boulger (Mukilteo, WA/Kamiak) home to tie the game, 2-2. Samantha Vidal (Lake Worth, FL/Forest Hill) and Prather were on first and third, respectively when Vidal stole second. The bad throw from the Naz catcher allowed Prather to jog home for the 3-2 lead. Vidal scored shortly after after Jessica Remm (Carmel, IN/Carmel) singled to center. Remm scored when Kendall Steward (Kennedy, NY/Randolph) did the same thing while at-bat. Abigail Gatza (Burlington, ON, Canada/Assumption Catholic) doubled to left center field to bring home Steward, making it 6-2 before Neto recorded her first of two home runs right after, sending the ball over the left field fence, making it an 8-2 Saxon lead.

Whitmyer singled to left field in the bottom of the fourth to bring home Darby McEnery (Corona, CA/Norco) for the 9-2 lead before Naz put on run on the board in the top of the fifth.

Remm drove home Prather in the bottom of the fifth to make it 10-3 with a single to left center field. Neto closed out the win with her home run over the center field fence in the next inning.

The Saxons out-hit the Flyers, 13-5 with two doubles and three home runs. Steward never gave up an extra base hit while striking out three batters as she earned her 20^th pitching win of the season. The win ties the Alfred University school record for most pitching wins in a single season, Steward tying former teammate, Megan Bennett '24.

Vidal and Remm each had stolen bases.

The Saxons will next play the winner between No. 4 Utica College and No. 3 SUNY Geneseo on Friday at 11:30am.