Alfred knocks off Messiah to open NCAA regional play
ROCHESTER, NY – The Alfred University softball team beat Messiah College, 4-1, Friday afternoon in the opening game of the NCAA Division III championship tournament's Rochester Regional.
AU (28-10), the second seed in the four-team double-elimination regional, will now play the winner of Friday's other first-round game (set to begin at 3:30 p.m.) between top-seeded host University of Rochester and fourth-seeded Marywood University. First-round winners meet at 11 a.m. Saturday, while Messiah and the loser of the Rochester-Marywood matchup will play at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, with the loser of that game eliminated.
AU took a 3-0 lead against third-seeded Messiah with three runs in the bottom of the second inning. Junior pitcher
Alison Wickwire (Towanda, PA/Towanda) was hit by a pitch to open the inning. Senior
Danielle Mastropierro (Randolph, NJ/Randolph) ran for Wickwire and advanced to second on a sacrifice and moved to third on a double by sophomore catcher
Jasmine Picini (Alexandria, VA/West Potomac).
Mastropierro scored when sophomore
Nora Passuite (Lockport, NY/Lockport) reached on a fielder's choice, sending sophomore
Mackenzie Miller (Newport, OR/Newport), who was running for Picini, to third. Junior outfielder
Alyson Hampton (Oxnard, CA/Oxnard) hit an infield single to load the bases before senior outfielder
Rachel Guszick (Sparrowbush, NY/Port Jervis) singled to score Miller. Sophomore outfielder
Samantha Jauregui (Lindsay, CA/Lindsay) then hit a sacrifice bunt to score Passuite and give the Saxons a 3-0 lead.
The Saxons added an insurance run in the fifth. Freshman third baseman
Liz Thompson (Horseheads, NY/Horseheads) belted a leadoff double and came around to score on a Wickwire groundout.
Wickwire was outstanding in the pitcher's circle for the Saxons, retiring the first six Messiah batters and holding the Falcons until a fourth-inning leadoff single. She held Messiah scoreless until the seventh, when the Falcons opened the inning with a pair of singles before scoring their lone run on a fielder's choice with one out. Wickwire allowed four hits (all singles) and a pair of walks while striking out four to improve to 14-5.
AU finished with six hits off two Messiah pitchers. Thompson, Picini and sophomore second baseman
Dana Torchia (Pompton Plains, NJ/Pequannock Twp.) each hit doubles, while Guszick (RBI), Passuite (RBI) and Hampton each hit singles.
Regionals are double-elimination in format, with the winners advancing to one of eight two-team, best-of-three super regionals. Winners of the super regionals –May 16-17 at sites to be determined – will make up the eight-team field for the Division III College World Series, which will be hosted by the University of Texas-Tyler, May 22-27.
This is Alfred's second-ever appearance in the NCAA Division III championship tournament. The Saxons played in 2010, falling to host Ithaca in the regional championship game. AU won three of five games played in the regional that year and finished the season with 37 wins, a school single-season record.