GENESEO, NY – The No. 3 seeded Alfred University softball team claimed its second consecutive Empire 8 Championship Tournament title with a 3-1 win over No. 2 seeded St. John Fisher University on Saturday.
With Saturday's win, the Saxons (29-13) not only are back-to-back champions, but both in 2026 and 2025, they were undefeated in the tournament, going 4-0 in each tournament.
Brielle Wark (East Amherst, NY/East Amherst) was the first Saxon to score in the top of the second inning when
Bella Mistretta (Alexandria, VA/Hayfield Secondary) grounded out to second base. She then was credited with the game-winning run in the top of the fourth inning when
Samantha Vidal (Lake Worth, FL/Forest Hill) singled up the middle. Fisher scored an unearned run in the bottom of the frame to make it a 2-1 Saxon lead.
Paris Guzman (Santa Fe Springs, CA/Santa Fe) singled up the middle in the top of the fifth inning to drive home an insurance run, sending
Kendall Steward (Kennedy, NY/Randolph) home for the 3-1 lead.
Steward earned the win in the pitching circle with one strikeout and
Ava Galvan (Santa Fe Springs, CA/Santa Fe) came in for the pitching save, recording two strikeouts and giving up no hits.
Steward was named the Empire 8 Softball Championship Tournament Most Valuable Player.
The Saxons will next await to see where they are going for the NCAA Division III Tournament on Monday, May 11.
--Swords Forward Saxons--
