HORNELL, N.Y. (April 29, 2012) – The Stevens Institute of Technology softball team swept Alfred University 6-1 and 10-5 on Sunday - the last day of the Empire 8 season - to leapfrog the Saxons in the league standings and earn the third seed in next week's Empire 8 Championship. The Ducks never trailed over the 14 innings played in Hornell.

Game One

Stevens starting pitcher Kayla Berardi (Brookfield, Conn.) was the star of the first game of the day, striking out 11 while walking two and allowing just one run on a solo homer in the sixth inning. She also went 2-for-4 at the plate including an RBI double in the Ducks' big fourth inning.

After three scoreless frames for both sides, Stephanie Senkevich (Washington, N.J.) began in fourth with a single. Sarah Parker (Fredricksburg, Va.) then walked and freshman Kendal Aurand (McVeytown, Pa.) came through with a clutch two-out single that allowed pinch runner Krista Sticco (Leonia, N.J.) to come around to score. A Saxon error then allowed two more runs to come in.

Stevens made Alfred pay for that mistake, as Berardi doubled to drive in a fourth run before freshman Jamie DeGennaro (Pearl River, N.Y.) hit a big two-run homer to cap the rally, chase the Alfred starter from the circle and give Stevens a 6-0 lead.

Angela Netta (Rahway, N.J.) hit a solo homerun for Alfred in the sixth, but Berardi pitched brilliantly otherwise to earn her sixth win of the season.

Defense played a large role in the proceedings, as all but one of the Ducks' runs were unearned thanks to three Alfred errors. Stevens was errorless in the first game.

Game Two

Sunday's second contest was a much wilder affair. In the first, Danielle DeFeo (Andover, N.J.) began the game with a basehit and Aurand's sacrifice attempt led to an error to put the first two runners on for Stevens. Senkevich brought them both in with an RBI single and the Ducks led 2-0 early on.
A leadoff homer by Nicole Hendrick (Albany, N.Y.) got one back for Alfred in the bottom half of the inning.

Stevens responded by scoring two more in the second. Brianna Sticco (Leonia, N.J.) walked and DeFeo singled to set up an RBI basehit from Aurand and sac fly from DeGennaro to put the Ducks up 4-1.

Krista Sticco began another rally in the fourth with a walk and DeGennaro earned one of her four ribbies on the day with a single to drive her home.

Parker hit a one-out double in the fifth, and after a wild pitch Noelle Mulligan (Staten Island, N.Y.) brought her in with an RBI groundout back to the pitcher.

In the sixth, DeFeo and Aurand greeted new pitcher Samantha Jo Muller (Port Jarvis, N.Y.) with back-to-back singles. DeFeo scored on a wild pitch and Clair Strom (El Paso, Texas) brought in Aurand with a single. Finally Senkevich ended the Ducks scoring with her fourth homerun of the season to make the score 10-1.

After five innings of solid pitching Brianna Sandone (Haddon Twp., N.J.) ran into some trouble in the sixth and gave up four runs, but Berardi came in to shut down the Saxons and give the Ducks the sweep on the last day of the Empire 8 season.

The Ducks will next take on Old Westbury at 6 p.m. on Wednesday. Senior day festivities will be held at the Weehawken Waterfront for the program's three members of the Class of 2012.

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