Softball | 5/1/2022 8:20:00 PM
ALBANY, NY – The Alfred University softball team only needed to win one game on Sunday to clinch the Empire 8 Regular Season Champions crown, the No. 1 seed going into the E8 Championship Tournament and the right to host the tournament. AU did just that as it won game one before finishing the double-header with a split at Russell Sage College.
The Saxons (22-13, 11-3 Empire 8) defeated the Gators (15-19, 8-6 Empire 8) in game one, 3-2 to clinch the Regular Season Champions crown before dropping the second Sunday matchup, 10-8. "A great way for us to finish out conference play and secure the regular season title," Head Coach
Luke Wesneski said. "Everyone contributed and the girls battled all day, making adjustments to a strong Sage team that always plays us tough. We know what we need to work on going into E8's and could not be more excited to host the tournament right here in Alfred!"
Game One
Alfred University – 3 | Russell Sage College – 2
The opener remained scoreless between both teams for the entire first four innings on Sunday before the Saxons scored twice in the top of the fifth inning.
Mya Wells (San Ramon, CA/California) hit a double to right center, bringing home
Arden Hatch (Orangevale, CA/St. Francis) and
Ashley Lugo (Hesperia, CA/Oak Hills) for the 2-0 lead.
The Saxons scored what proved to be the game-winning, crown-clinching run in the top of the sixth when
Alyssa Guitron (San Bernardino, CA/Cajon) singled to right field, sending
Tatiana Mejia (North Hills, CA/John F. Kennedy) across home plate, making it a 3-0 Saxon lead. The Gators scored two in the bottom of the sixth before Hatch got the third out with a strikeout to move to the top of the seventh.
Neither team scored in the seventh as
Megan Bennett (Athens, PA/Athens Area) picked up her seventh and nation-leading save as she struck out all three batters she faced in the inning, two of the K's were when the batter swung at the third strike.
Mejia was a perfect, 2-for-2 in game one to go along with her run. Hatch had a 2-for-3 performance from the batters' box as she picked up the win in the circle, striking out a new collegiate career-best 11 batters while only giving up four hits as the Saxons ripped 11 hits off of the Gators' pitcher.
Game Two
Alfred University – 8 | Russell Sage College – 10
With the postseason locked in, the Saxons kept the pressure on the Gators in the nightcap, holding the lead until the bottom of the sixth where Russell Sage scored four runs, making it a 9-6 Gator lead. The Saxons scored first when
Isabella Orozco (Studio City, CA/Village Christian) batted in
Meghan Neto (Miami, FL/Doral Academy Charter) during the top of the second inning. Orozco was out on the play at first with the ground out to second. RSC responded with a tying run in the bottom of the inning.
Lugo scored in the third before the Gators took their first lead of the day, scoring twice in the third and twice in the fourth inning, making it a 5-2 game. The Saxons responded with three runs in the top of the fifth to take what would be their last lead of the day.
In the top of the seventh, Alfred made a dash to catch up as they scored two runs when Lugo singled to center field, scoring
Isabella Carrillo (Van Nuys, CA/Birmingham Community Charter) and
Alexa Woluewich (Valley Stream, NY/Valley Stream) before the Sage defense closed out the game.
The Saxons will next host the No. 4 seed Golden Flyers of Nazareth College on Thursday, May fifth in the opening round of the Empire 8 Championship Tournament. All of the games of the tournament will be played at Alfred University's Harrington Field.