Game 1 | Game 2
Updated stats
HORNELL, N.Y. -- Nazareth's bats were silent Saturday in a softball doubleheader against Alfred. The Golden Flyers dropped a pair of Empire 8 Conference games to the host Saxons by scores of 7-2 and 4-0.

Nazareth's record is 5-9 overall and 0-2 in conference play. Alfred is 12-2 overall and 2-0 in the E8.

In the first game, Nazareth managed just five hits and didn't score until the sixth inning against Saxons' starting pitcher Nicole Hedrick. Nazareth's Casey Mathers had a shutout going herself until she surrendered five runs in the fifth inning with two scoring on a two-run homer by Hedrick, who also had three hits.

Nazareth closed within 5-2 with two runs in the sixth as sophomore Brittany Patenaude had a two-run single. Alfred, however, scored two more runs in the bottom of the sixth. Freshman Mandy Weakley finished with two hits for Nazareth in three at bats.

The second game was a pitcher's duel between Alfred's Chelsey Cary and Nazareth's Kelly Kocher. The game was scoreless until Alfred pushed across three runs in the sixth. Emily Fenton had the key hit for the Saxons with a two-run double.

Nazareth couldn't solve Cary, who surrendered only a single to Kaitlin Graham in the first and a single to Mathers in the second. After Alfred added another run in the seventh on a run-scoring double by Ashley Passaro, Nazareth was retired in order in the bottom half of the inning.

Cary walked just one battered and struck out eight to improve her pitching record to 7-0. Kocher allowed six hits for Nazareth and struck out seven while falling to 4-3.

Nazareth is home Thursday for a doubleheader against Medaille, starting at 3 p.m.