Alfred, NY - With 12 runs in its doubleheader on Wednesday the Clarkson University Softball team produced its largest offensive output in a single day in program history, but it wasn't enough to secure a sweep over Alfred State as the Golden Knights came away with an 8-6 victory in the opener before falling in the nightcap 11-4 at Pioneer Field.

The Golden Knights moved to 6-22 on the season, winners of six of their last nine contests. Alfred State moved to 9-13 on the campaign. Clarkson will close out the regular season this weekend when it visits Skidmore and Rensselaer.

The Knights never trailed in the opener as Jamie Bridge (Plymouth, CT) led off the first with a walk and advanced around the bases on a pair of wild pitches before finally scoring on a two-out single from Ali Schwenzfeier (East Haddam, CT). Clarkson tacked on a second run when Bridge reached on a singled and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt from Lou Terwilliger (Putney, VT). An error by the Alfred State third baseman on a grounder by Tirzah Smith (Tully, NY) allowed Bridge to score the second run of the contest.

In the top of the fourth the Knights tacked on two more runs as MacKenzie Pelton (Glens Falls, NY) singled to lead off the frame and advanced to third on two wild pitches. Kat Tamburro (Frankfort, NY) then reached on an error and Pelton scored, and Tamburro later crossed the plate on a groundout by Lisa Ferrucci (Amsterdam, NY), making the score 4-0. In the bottom half of the frame, two soft singles highlighted the inning, but it was enough to plate two for the Pioneers as stolen bases and errors allowed runners to circle the bases.

In the sixth, it appeared as if Clarkson put the game out of reach by scoring four in the top half of the inning. Bridge drew a bases-loaded walk and Terwilliger drove in a pair with a single to left, and an error by the shortstop allowed Bridge to finish her path home, making it 8-2. That wasn't enough to scare off the Alfred State offense, which responded with four in the bottom half of the frame, including a two-run single by Claire Hartman which drew the Pioneers within two. However, both teams went quietly in the seventh to end the game at 8-6.

Bridge struck out nine and allowed just a pair of walks in her seven-inning effort, while Taylor McCarthy gave up eight hits and seven walks in seven innings of work, striking out six in the process for the Pioneers. Bridge reached base five times on three walks and a pair of hits, scoring three times, and Katie Pelton (Auburn, NH) was 2-for-3 for the Knights.

In game two, Alfred State struck for the first run in the bottom of the first, capitalizing on a pair of errors, but Clarkson would gain the lead in the fifth inning when Kat Tamburro singled and stole second to move into scoring position. After Lisa Ferrucci added to the offense with a single, Jamie Bridge drove in a run and Ferrucci scored on a miscue at the plate to give the Knights the lead. Katie Pelton then singled home Bridge for a 3-1 Clarkson advantage. The lead was shortlived for Clarkson, though, as Alfred State responded with four in the bottom half of the inning. Clarkson attempted to tie the game in the top of the sixth, but could only muster one run when Tamburro doubled home Schwenzfeier. The Pioneers then put the game out of reach with a six-run outburst in the bottom half of the frame. Katie Pelton, Schwenzfeier and Tamburro each recorded two hits in the second game, and Tamburro swiped her 11th base of the year in the contest.