Softball | 4/14/2021 11:31:00 PM
The Alfred University softball team returned to its winning ways Wednesday evening, sweeping both ends of a doubleheader to county rival Houghton College, in Empire 8 action from Doris Harrington Field.
The Saxons snap a three-game losing skid, improving to 12-5 overall (3-3 Empire 8). Houghton, playing in its first conference games of the season, dropped to 4-8 overall (0-2 Empire 8).
Yet another milestone was reached by graduate pitcher
Jessica Wilcox (Forestville, NY/Pine Valley), as she became the first Saxon in program history to surpass 500 career strikeouts. She took the circle in game two, allowing one run (none earned) in a complete-game effort, striking out eight batters. She ended the night with career totals of 507 strikeouts in 435 1/3 innings pitched.
First year
Mya Wells (San Ramon, CA/California) tallied three hits in the doubleheader, including her second home run of the season in game two. She improved her season batting average to a team-leading .435 and is tied for the team lead with two home runs and four doubles.
Junior infielder
Ashley Lugo (Hesperia, CA/Oak Hills) stretched her hitting streak to 14 games after tallying a hit in game one. She also tallied a stolen base, her team-leading 23rd of the season, which is two shy of second place in the AU record book for season stolen bases.
"Houghton brought their best stuff today and gave us everything we could handle," said head coach
Luke Wesneski. "We were fortunate to leave Harrington Field with a sweep. We are working through a few things that we need to get straightened out now as we move deeper into our season. We're just happy to grab a couple conference wins today, but we need to get better each day."
GAME ONE
Houghton began the contest with three quick first inning runs. In the bottom of the frame, solid baserunning led to an RBI opportunity for first year infielder
Raygan Wescott (Taft, CA/Taft Union), who delivered with a one-out groundout with runners on second and third base, getting AU on the board.
In the second inning, the Saxons took advantage of back-to-back Houghton errors, taking a 4-3 lead. The Saxons added to the tally later in the inning, as junior infielder
Tatiana Mejia (North Hills, CA/John F. Kennedy) knocked a run-scoring single into center field. The four-run fourth gave the Saxons a 5-3 lead. Adding onto the lead in the third, Carrillo, facing a bases-loaded situation for the second consecutive at-bat, delivered once again with an RBI single in the infield. The next batter, Lugo, finished the scoring with an RBI as the Saxons took a 7-3 lead.
The seven runs were more than enough for first year pitcher
Megan Bennett (Athens, PA/Athens Area). She shook off the first-inning woes and held the Highlander bats in check, finishing with just the three earned runs on nine hits and striking out five Houghton batters in six innings to pick up her third victory of the season (3-1). Fellow first year
Mikaela Perez (Pomona, CA/Diamond Ranch) came on in the seventh and allowed just one hit, adding a strikeout to close the deal.
GAME TWO
With Wilcox taking the circle in game two, she gave up a leadoff single, but was then able to strike out Caitlyn Cybart on a 1-2 pitch for the milestone strikeout. In the bottom of the first, the Saxon offense rewarded Wilcox in a big way. With two outs and a runner on second, Wells a 1-1 pitch from Houghton starter Kayla Loomis deep to left center field for the two-run home run, as the Saxons took a 2-0 lead.
Houghton struck back in the third, as Cybart got her revenge on Wilcox with a two-out, RBI double into right field. The Highlanders cut their deficit in half, 2-1. The teams would hold steady until the sixth inning, as a sacrifice fly by sophomore infielder Molly Lawson (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA/Trabuco) scored Wells, giving AU a 3-1 lead. From there, Wilcox finished the job. With two outs and a runner on first, Wilcox deflected a comebacker hit right to her, as the ball flew to the waiting glove of Mejia, who threw to first for the game-ending 1-5-3 putout.
Junior utility
Allison O'Toole (Simi Valley, CA/Simi Valley) made the most of her first start of the season, leading the Saxons with a 2-for-3 effort. Senior outfielder
Sydney Saucedo (Whittier, CA/La Serna) added a hit, scored a run, and tallied her sixth stolen base of the season.
The Saxons will look to continue their winning ways as the newest Empire 8 member Keuka comes to town on Friday. The afternoon double-header will begin at 3 p.m.