ALBANY, NY – The Alfred University softball team split an Empire 8 conference doubleheader on Saturday afternoon against Russell Sage College.
 
The Saxons (12-10, 6-4 Empire 8) started fell in the first game, 5-2 to the Gators (12-12, 5-5 Empire 8). They opened the scoring floodgates in the nightcap, winning 14-4 in the full seven innings.
 
Game One
Alfred University – 2 | Russell Sage College – 5
 
The Saxons scored their only two runs in the top of the first inning when Molly Whitmyer (Enola, PA/Trinity) doubled to bring home Bella Mistretta (Alexandria, VA/Hayfield Secondary) and Taylor Carlson (Huntington Beach, CA/Huntington Beach) singled to bring home Whitmyer.
 
Mistretta added one stolen base and was hit-by-pitch twice.
 
Game Two
Alfred University – 14 | Russell Sage College – 4
 
The Saxon bats came alive in the second contest, totaling 14 hits, 14 RBI and 14 runs with 12 being earned runs. AU had the game won by the top of the second as they scored three in the first and two more in the second. The three runs in the first inning came off a Whitmyer home run to left field to bring Samantha Vidal (Lake Worth, FL/Forest Hill) and Mistretta home.
 
In the top of the second inning, the Saxons made it a 4-0 lead when Vidal tripled to bring home Carlson. Vidal would later cross home plate when Mistretta grounded out to first base. Russell Sage scored in the bottom of the frame on an error.
 
Whitmyer hit her second home run of the day, going over the left center field fence and bringing Mistretta home in the top of the fourth inning to make it a 7-1 game. Brielle Wark (East Amherst, NY/Williamsville East) doubled to send Kendall Steward (Kennedy, NY/Randolph) home, ending the fourth inning with an 8-1 advantage.
 
In the top of the fifth, Mistretta reached first on an error by the first base player, giving Vidal enough time to score the ninth run of the game. Mistretta later crossed home plate when Steward singled.
 
The Gators got some offensive life when the put two runs up in the bottom of the fifth and one more in the sixth.
 
Alfred University put the game away with four runs in the top of the last inning, starting with Steward's double that sent Vidal and Mistretta home, making it a 12-4 Saxon lead. Wark ended the scoring as she hit a home run to left center field that brought Steward home.
 
Steward earned the pitching win as she pitched all 7.0 innings with eight strikeouts.
 
Vidal added three stolen bases to her day as she went 3-for-5 with four runs and one RBI. Mistretta also had four runs and tacked on two RBI. Whitmyer went 2-for-4 with five RBI and two runs. Steward was near-perfect at the plate, going 4-for-5 with three RBI and two runs. Wark had three RBI on her 2-for-4 performance with one run.
 
The Saxons will next travel to University of Rochester for a 3:00pm and 5:00pm non-conference doubleheader on Tuesday, April 14.