Softball | 5/3/2010 12:08:15 PM

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ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT softball team (17-19, 6-8 Empire 8) is the No. 4 seed in the 2010 Empire 8 Championships and will face top-seed Alfred (32-4, 13-1 Empire 8) in the double elimination tournament on Friday, May 7 at 12 p.m at Alfred State College.  Second-seeded Ithaca (27-11, 13-1 Empire 8) takes on No. 3 St. John Fisher (24-16, 8-6 Empire 8) in the opening first-round game on Friday at 10 a.m. The winner of the earns the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championships.

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.

The Tigers were 0-2 against Alfred this season, losing a pair of one-run games, 2-1 and 4-3 at RIT on April 24.  RIT lost a pair of games at Ithaca, 5-0 and 8-3 on April 11.  RIT and St. John Fisher split a pair of games at RIT on April 3, with the Tigers winning game one 2-0 and the Cardinals taking game two, 2-1.

RIT makes it second straight Empire 8 Tournament appearance and seventh in the last nine seasons. 

Sunday, May 9, is reserved as a rain date, with all games taking place at Alfred State College. Below 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, 12 p.m.
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.