ALFRED, NY – Alfred University will play host to the Empire 8 Conference softball championship tournament this weekend.

The Saxons and Ithaca tied for the conference regular season crown; AU was named tournament host and top seed after a coin toss officiated by the Empire 8 Sunday evening. Tournament games will be held Friday and Saturday, May 7 and 8, at Alfred State College.

AU swept a doubleheader from St. John Fisher Sunday, giving Alfred a 13-1 conference record, identical to Ithaca’s. Because the two teams split their doubleheader April 10 at Ithaca and had no other Empire 8 losses, conference tie-breaking rules called for the coin toss.

As number one seed, AU (32-4) will take on fourth-seeded RIT in one first-round game Friday. Second-seeded Ithaca takes on third-seeded St. John Fisher in the other first-round game. The winner of the four-team double-elimination tournament earns the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division III championship tournament.

Sunday, May 9, is reserved as a rain date. Following is the tournament schedule:

FRIDAY, MAY 7

GAME 1: No. 2 Ithaca vs. No. 3 St. John Fisher, 10 a.m.

GAME 2: No. 1 Alfred vs. No. 4 RIT, Noon

GAME 3: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2, 2 p.m.

GAME 4: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2, 4 p.m.


SATURDAY, MAY 8

GAME 5: Winner of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4, 11 a.m.

GAME 6: Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 5, 1 p.m.

GAME 7: If Necessary, 3 p.m.