Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Game 1 | Game 2 | Updated stats
ALFRED, N.Y. -- Visiting Nazareth came up short on both ends of an Empire 8 Conference softball doubleheader Saturday. Alfred scored twice in the bottom of the seventh inning for a 4-3 walk-off win in the first game. The Saxons then erupted for nine third-inning runs to rally for a 15-6 victory in the nightcap.

Nazareth is 7-13 overall and 2-6 in the Empire 8. Alfred improved to 19-5 overall and 4-2 in conference games,

In the first game, Alfred's Dana Torchia singled home the tying and winning runs in the bottom half of the seventh inning off Nazareth pitcher Nicole White to secure the win for the Saxons. The Golden Flyers had taken a 3-2 lead with two runs in the top half of the inning on an RBI single by Sarah Cipperly and a sacrifice fly by Sophia Rhoades.

Sophomore Carly Pike continued her hot hitting for the Golden Flyers as she went 2-for-2 with a solo home run to account for Nazareth's other run in the fourth inning. Rhoades and sophomore Morgan Ross also had two hits each. White was a tough-luck losing pitcher as she struck out seven and walked two while allowing two earned runs.

The second game lasted only five innings as Nazareth pitchers Danae Wetherbee and Nicole Bayona were touched for nine runs on nine hits in the third inning as the Saxons turned a 5-3 deficit into a 12-5 lead. Nazareth had 10 hits of their own, including three for sophomore Maureen Rogers, who also scored a run and knocked in two more.

Rogers singled home Kailey Ritch from second base in the first inning after Ritch reached on a one-out double. Nazareth added four more runs in the third as Cipperly singled home one run and Rhoades doubled home two others. Another run came home in the fourth on a run-scoring single by Rogers.

Nazareth is home Monday for a make-up doubleheader with Empire 8 rival Utica. The first game starts at 3:30 p.m.