Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

ALFRED, N.Y. (April 6, 2014) – The Stevens Institute of Technology softball team split an early afternoon doubleheader against Alfred University on Sunday, taking game one 3-2 in eight innings before dropping game two 5-1.
 
With the split, Stevens moved to 15-5, while Alfred dropped to 12-4.
 
Stevens 3, Alfred 2
 
Stevens struck early when junior Jamie DeGennaro doubled-home sophomore Gavriella Risman-Jones in the first to give the Ducks a 1-0 lead. From there, the game shifted to a pitcher's duel.
 
Senior Kayla Berardi retired the side in order in the first, second and third innings before working out of a first and second, two-out jam in the fourth to retain the Ducks lead. Alfred junior Alison Wickwire matched zeroes though, working around freshman Jessica Rees' two-out double in the third.
 
Both pitchers retired the side in order in the sixth before the Ducks added some insurance in seventh. After sophomore Sydney Spitz singled to lead-off, junior Noelle Mulligan advanced her to third with a single to left. Berardi followed with a single to load the bases, where senior Danielle DeFeo reached on a fielder's choice, scoring Spitz.
 
Down two in the bottom of the seventh, Alfred finally broke-through with two to tie. After senior Samijo Scheer doubled to lead-off, sophomore Nicole Maher singled to put runners on first and third with nobody out. Up-stepped sophomore Jasmine Picini who ripped a double to score both and tie the game at two. Berardi quickly settled down though, striking out the next three to end the inning and strand the winning run at second.
 
The Ducks quickly fought back in the eight, and with freshman Gina Schnecker on second, Spitz crushed an RBI double to give Stevens a 3-2 lead. In the bottom of the inning, Alfred put runners on second and third with two outs, but Berardi struck-out Maher to end the game.
 
Berardi struck-out 15 over eight innings to earn her eighth win of the season. Spitz led the team offensively with two hits, an RBI and a run scored.
 
Alfred 5 Stevens 1
 
After both teams traded zeroes through the first two innings, Alfred broke-through with four runs in the third. With runners on second and third and one out, sophomore Dana Torchia picked-up and RBI single, followed by an RBI fielder's choice off the bat of Scheer to put Stevens in a 2-0 hole.
 
Junior Brianna Sandone induced a ground-ball for the second out of the inning, but Picini extended the rally in the next at-bat with a two RBI single to give Alfred a 4-0 lead.
 
Alfred added one more in the fourth, but Stevens fought back with a run in the fifth. Schnecker singled to lead-off the inning and reached second with a stolen base. DeFeo followed with a walk, and after DeGennaro reached on an error the load the bases, Rees grounded out to short to score Schnecker.
 
Both teams went down in order in the sixth before Stevens rallied with back-to-back singles to start the seventh. On in relief though, sophomore Katleyn Jakobsen was able to retire the final three to secure the win for Alfred.
 
With Rees' single in the first, the leftfielder has now hit safely in 12 straight games.
 
Coming up
 
The Ducks will conclude their four-game Sunday swing with a doubleheader at Houghton College today with games starting at approximately 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. After that, Stevens will be back at home on April 8 to host St. Joseph's in a doubleheader starting at 4:30 p.m.
 
 
 
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