The St. John Fisher College softball team fell 3-2 to top-seeded Alfred University in the Empire 8 Championship on Sunday at the nationally-ranked Saxons' Harrington Park. It marks the first title for the Saxons.
 
With the loss, Fisher falls to 28-14 on the year.  The Cardinals will find out on Monday morning if they have earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Championship.
 
Lindsey Thayer recorded 12 strikeouts and allowed just five hits, three runs (all earned) and one walk over the full seven innings. The freshman finished with 294 strikeouts on the year, breaking the previous school record of 290 strikeouts. Thayer threw 202.0 innings pitched for third on Fisher's all-time list.
 
The Cardinals took the early lead in the opening inning. Emma Savas hit a hard groundball up the middle then Meghan Burns did the same, but Alfred's shortstop Nicole Maher got Savas out at second. Burns earned the RBI when Jennifer Knaak hit a flyball that curved away from the left field line.
 
Thayer kept the Saxons at bay with a pair of strikeouts in the first and second innings, and accounted for all three outs in the third. Alfred stayed scoreless through the third inning.
 
The Saxons knotted the game at 1s in the top of the fourth inning when Maher hit a solo shot over the left field fence.
 
Alfred kept rolling and took its first lead of the game when Thayer walked Samantha Jauregui, who later advanced to third when Liz Thompson hit a hard groundball that bounced up into Kristina Balsano. Dana Torchia then cleared the bases with a double to right center.
 
The Cardinals kept making contact but couldn't produce anything until the sixth inning. Sava again started Fisher's offense in the penultimate at-bat with a low line drive to right center and advanced to second base. Savas scored on the ensuing play when Burns hit a line drive that tipped Sophia Chiavatti's glove at first base and she advanced to second base. That would close Fisher's scoring.
 
Thayer and seniors Burns and Kate Disbrow received All-Tournament nods at the completion of the Empire 8 Championship.