TIFFIN, OHIO – Timely hitting, solid defense and great pitching – it's been the winning formula for the Heidelberg University softball team throughout the 2015 postseason. It worked again in the opening game of the super regional, yielding a 5-1 win over Alfred University.

The win puts the Student Princes one game up in the best-of-three series, with games two and three scheduled for Saturday. The winner of the series advances to Division III Softball Championships in Salem, Virginia.

Renee Lovett and Marissa Smego paced Heidelberg with three hits apiece. In the circle, Paige Atterholt continued her remarkable postseason run by allowing one run on six hits.

Heidelberg (34-8), batting as the visitors, raced out to a 2-0 in the top of the first. Taylor Hicks drew a walk and moved to third on a bunt single and throwing error. After a delayed steal by Lovett put two in scoring position, Smego tucked a single inside the right field foul line. The opposite field single brought in the pair.

Back-to-back singles by Smego and Mikaela Mitsch put runners on the corners to start the third. With one out, Kayla Zachrich singled to right, plating Smego.

Alfred (38-5) scored their only run in the fourth. A two-out double by Nicole Maher was followed by an RBI single by Jasmine Picini. Another single chased Picini to third, but a line drive to Hicks in center ended the rally.

The Student Princes added a pair of insurance runs in the sixth. Randi Kelsey singled, moved to second on a bunt and went stopped at third on a single to third by Lovett. Lovett tried to get caught in a run-down to allow Kelsey to score, but the throw from the catcher Pacini went into center field, allowing the run to score easily. Mitsch followed with an RBI groundout to shortstop.

Atterholt shut the door, despite allowing a lead off double in the seventh. She improved to 19-3 on the season.

Heidelberg handed Saxon pitcher Kerri Keeler (16-1) her first loss of the season.  Keeler gave up five runs on 12 hits.  She walked three and struck out eight. 

"We came out guns-a-blazin' at the beginning and made our presence known," said head coach Betsy Hada. "Paige did a great job on the mound for us and our defense backed her up."

Game two is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start on Saturday. However, rain in the forecast might affect the game schedule.