BROCKPORT, NY – The Alfred University softball team swept SUNY Brockport in an Empire 8 doubleheader on Thursday evening to close out its regular season and clinch the No. 3 spot in the Empire 8 Championship Playoffs.

The Saxons (25-13, 18-4 Empire 8) defeating the Golden Eagles (17-17, 13-9 Empire 8) in game one, 15-8 and then took a 7-5 closing victory to end the regular season.


Game One
Alfred University – 15 | SUNY Brockport – 8

The Saxons had to fight back from a five run bottom of the first inning after going scoreless in the top of the frame. They responded with a Molly Whitmyer (Enola, PA/Trinity) unearned run and then a run from Ally Boulger (Mukilteo, WA/Kamiak) from a Paris Guzman (Santa Fe Springs, CA/Santa Fe) double to center field, making it a 5-2 Brockport lead. The Golden Eagles scored one more in the bottom of the inning, making it 6-2.

AU compiled its own five-run inning in the top of the third to take the lead, 7-6. Whitmyer hit a hard-to-field and throw shot to the Brockport third base player, giving Bella Mistretta (Alexandria, VA/Hayfield Secondary) and Kendall Steward (Kennedy, NY/Randolph) each chances to advance. Mistretta scored on the play and Steward added an additional base on a bad play from the Brockport left fielder. Taylor Carlson (Huntington Beach, CA/Huntington Beach) singled to left field to send Whitmyer home, bringing AU within one run of tying, 6-5. Brielle Wark (East Amherst, NY/Williamsville East) doubled to center field to send Boulger and Carlson home to take the 7-6 lead and end the inning.

Steward hit a solo home run in the top of the fourth to make it a two-run lead for the Saxons. A bad play from the Brockport shortstop in the top of the fifth resulted in two more unearned runs scoring from Guzman and Wark. Steward doubled to send Alexis Martinez (Anaheim, CA/Woodbridge) and Samantha Vidal (Lake Worth, FL/Forest Hill) home to make it a 12-6 Saxon lead.

Later in the top of the seventh, Steward added another RBI for security, sacrificing a shot to right field to send Martinez home. Vidal scored on a double steal attempt with her and Mistretta with Mistretta getting home on a sacrificed flyout from Boulger, ending the Saxon scoring.

Brockport scored two in the bottom of the seventh.

Steward had four RBI on a 3-for-4 performance at the plate and six Saxon runners each had two runs while the entire batting lineup each had a run.


Game Two
Alfred University – 7 | SUNY Brockport – 5

The Saxons had to battle back again in the nightcap after Brockport scored two in the bottom of the first inning. They responded with a Guzman solo home run in the top of the second and opened up the floodgates, closing out the scoring and the win in the top of the third.

AU piled on six runs in the top of the third frame while its defense held the hosts to only one run in the bottom of the fifth and two in the bottom of the sixth.

In the top of the third, Steward singled to center field to send her sister, Sadie Steward (Kennedy, NY/Randolph) home to tie the game at 2-2. Whitmyer cleared the bases with a home run to center field, scoring Martinez and [Kendall] Steward. Boulger followed suit with a home run to left field to take a 6-2 lead. Guzman put down a perfect sacrificed bunt to give Vidal time to reach home.

Loretta Sorochty (Batavia, NY/Notre Dame Batavia) picked up the win with four strikeouts, Carlson added three and Ava Galvan (Santa Fe Springs, CA/Santa Fe) picked up the save with no hits and one strikeout in the final inning.

The Saxons will next face No. 4 seeded Nazareth University in the first round of the Empire 8 Championship Playoffs on Thursday, May 7 at No. 1 seeded SUNY Geneseo. Ticket prices and times to follow.