SALEM, VA – The Alfred University season saw its run through the NCAA Division III championship tournament come to an end Friday afternoon, with a 10-4 loss to Kean University in an elimination game played at Moyer Sports Center in Salem, VA.
Alfred (40-7) took a 1-0 lead in the first when senior
Alison Wickwire (Towanda, PA/Towanda) hit a two-out single to center off Kean starter
Courtney Yard to score junior outfielder
Samantha Jauregui (Lindsay, CA/Lindsay) from second.
Kean (31-14) had a chance to answer in the bottom of the frame when
Emily Sabo singled with one out, stole second and moved the third on an error. But AU pitcher
Kerri Keeler (Jamesville, NY/Jamesville-DeWitt) stymied the threat by striking out
MacKenzie Valeriani and getting
Katie Garbarino on a groundout to end the inning.
Kean got to Keeler in the third, scoring six runs off the Saxon freshman. Kean loaded the bases with no outs on a pair of singles sandwiched around an error before
MacKenzie Valeriani gave the Cougars their first lead with a single to left to score Yard and
Emily Sabo. Kean re-loaded the bases when
Katie Garbarino walked and
Cayleen Rizo followed with a double to right-center to plate
Alexis D'Aloisio and
Emily Bissonnette and give the Cougars a 4-1 advantage.
Amanda Berezny lined out to right on the next pitch, with Garbarino scoring from third on the play, and
Tonianni DeMatteo followed with a single to left to score Rizo and put the Cougars up 6-1.
Wickwire relieved Keeler with two outs and allowed a single before Sabo blooped a double down the left field line to score DeMatteo and Yard and make it 8-1. Tiffany Varriello's two-out single to right scored Rizo, who had doubled to lead off the inning and moved to second on a groundout, and the Cougars led 9-1 after four.
AU plated an unearned run in the fifth to extend the game. Senior centerfielder
Alyson Hampton (Oxnard, CA/Oxnard) led off with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice. One out later, junior second baseman
Dana Torchia (Pompton Plains, NJ/Pequannock Twp.) hit a fly to left that could have ended the game, but the ball dropped in for an error and Hampton sprinted home to score and make it 9-2, Kean.
The Saxons pulled a run closer in the sixth. Junior catcher
Jasmine Picini (Alexandria, VA/West Potomac) doubled and was replaced by a pinch runner, junior
Nora Passuite (Lockport, NY/Lockport). Passuite moved to third on a double by sophomore first baseman
Sophia Chiavatti (Tustin, CA/Foothill) and came in to score on Hampton's single to left.
DeMatteo scored pinch runner Kate Smith from second with a single to center to give Kean a 10-3 lead before Wickwire's homerun over the centerfield fence closed out the scoring.
Chiavatti (double) and Hampton (RBI, run scored) each had two hits for the Saxons. Jauregui (run), Wickwire (RBI) and Picini (double) had Alfred's other hits. Sophomore first baseman
Sophia Chiavatti (Tustin, CA/Foothill) each had base hits for Alfred. Kean was led by Sabo (double, two RBI), Bissonnette, DeMatteo and Rizo (double, two runs, two RBI), each with two hits.
Keeler allowed seven runs (three unearned) on seven hits, striking out one in 3 1/3 innings. Wickwire finished allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits and striking out two in 2 2/3 innings of work. Yard got the win for Kean, allowing four runs (three earned) on eight hits and striking out 10.
Alfred concluded an historic season Friday. In addition to making its first-ever College World Series, the Saxons won a school-record 40 games. Wickwire's two RBIs gave her 55 on the year, which broke the AU single-season of 54 record set in 2010 by Jesika LeBarron.
"It was a great year, a great experience," said AU head coach
Gino Olivieri. "I couldn't be more proud of the girls this year. To be here among seven other great teams, it's just a wonderful experience for all of us."
On her career, and the record-setting season her team enjoyed, Hampton was reflective.
"It feels awesome," Hampton said of the Saxons' achievement during her four years at AU. "The program has grown so much since my freshman year."
"This season was the best we've had here," Wickwire added. "I wouldn't want to go out any other way. I'm glad we could go out together at nationals."
Kean will play the loser of this afternoon's game between Tufts and Salisbury.