Saxons eliminated from NCAA playoffs

Saxons eliminated from NCAA playoffs

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ROCHESTER, NY – The Alfred University softball team saw its season end Sunday afternoon with a 4-1 and 6-0 loss to top-seeded University of Rochester in a regional title game of the NCAA Division III championship tournament.

With the loss, the Saxons see their season end at 29-12. It was the second time in school history the team was making an appearance in the NCAA playoffs. The other time, in 2010, AU also lost in a regional title game, that time to Empire 8 Conference rival Ithaca.

Game 1: Rochester 4, Alfred 1 
Rochester scored single runs in the first, third and fourth innings to take a 3-0 lead over the Saxons (29-11). Alfred plated a run in the top of the fifth, when sophomore shortstop Nicole Maher (Newark, DE/Caravel Academy) hit a two-out single to drive in sophomore second baseman Dana Torchia (Pompton Plains, NJ/Pequannock Twp.). Rochester closed out the scoring with a run in the bottom of the frame.
 
Alfred, seeded second in the four-team regional, lost despite outhitting the top-seeded host team, 7-5. Maher finished with two hits, while Torchia, junior outfielderAlyson Hampton (Oxnard, Ca/Oxnard), senior Stephanie Arguello (Placentia, CA/Vista del Lago), sophomore catcher Jasmine Picini (Alexandria, VA/West Potomac) and sophomore outfielder Samantha Jauregui (Lindsay, CA/Lindsay) each had one.
 
Junior Alison Wickwire (Towanda, PA/Towanda) took the pitching loss for the Saxons, allowing four earned runs on five hits and striking out nine in six innings.
 
The Saxons, seeded second in the four-team Rochester Regional, dropped their second matchup of the day to the host Yellowjackets, who advance to next weekend's Super Regional round. 
 
Game 2: Rochester 6, Alfred 0
In Sunday's championship game, AU was held to three singles by Rochester starter Eleni Wechsler. AU junior Alison Wickwire (Towanda, PA/Towanda), making her second pitching start of the day, allowed six runs (three earned) on six hits while striking out four over six innings.
 
Senior outfielder Stephanie Arguello (Placentia, CA/Vista del Lago), junior outfielder Alyson Hampton (Oxnard, CA/Oxnard) and sophomore Mackenzie Miller (Newport, OR/Newport).