KISSIMMEE, FL – The Alfred University softball team added a pair of wins on Monday during Day Two of its Spring Break Training trip against Baldwin Wallace University and Aurora University.

The Saxons (4-0, 0-0 Empire 8) totaled 10 runs on the day and only allowed four. They began the day with a morning, 5-1 win over Baldwin Wallace and then a 5-3 victory against Aurora.

"I was really proud of our pitching and defense in both games and it really showed against Aurora," Head Coach Luke Wesneski said. "Our bats were consecutive all day, totaling 10 runs. They just executed really well and I am really happy with our start down here in Florida."

Game One

Alfred University struck first with a run from Sydney Saucedo (Whittier, CA/La Serna). Desiree Luquin (Chula Vista, CA/Otay Ranch) sent her fellow first-year home when she grounded out to the short stop. The Saxons got on a scoring spree in the fourth inning, scoring four with three unearned runs crossing plate.

Luquin scored on a sacrificed bunt after Elena Ceja (Redondo Beach, CA/Redondo Beach Union) put it in play, followed by a throwing error on the Baldwin Wallace pitcher, allowing Ceja to reach first, Jillian Murray (Eden, NY/Eden) to advance to third and Luquin to up the score, 2-0.

Baldwin Wallace allowed the bases to be loaded with purple and gold runners and then walked Saucedo, sending Chantel Singleton (Olean, NY/Olean) home for a 3-0 Saxon lead.

With the bases still loaded, Becca Alexander (Middletown, DE/Middletown) stepped up and on the first pitch, smacked the ball to left field for a single (advanced to second on the throw) but drove home Lu Krawczyk (West Seneca, NY/West Seneca) and Brenna Alvis (Costa Mesa, CA/Costa Mesa), making it a 5-0 Saxon game.

Baldwin Wallace scored on a single down the left field line before the Saxon pitching and defense closed out the game.

Senior Shannon Schaefer (Westfield, NJ/Westfield) picked up her second win with 5.0 innings pitched. She gave up seven hits and one earned run while striking out five batters. Murray came in for relief in the final two innings, giving up no hits, walking one batter and striking out another.

Game Two

The bats for the Saxons racked up four runs between the second and fifth innings. The scoring run began when Haley Powers (Newark, DE/St. Georges Tech) singled up the middle to send Trisha Whaley (Chittenango, NY/Chittenango) home for the 1-0 lead. With Powers on base, Lea Georgatos (Emerson, NJ/Immaculate Conception) sent a long home run to left field to make it a 3-0 Saxon advantage.

Luquin singled down the right field line in the fifth inning with two runners on base, but only bringing home Saucedo for the 4-0 lead.

Starting pitcher, Jessica Wilcox (Forestville, NY/Pine Valley) pitched 5.1 innings and struck out five batters despite being charged three earned runs and four hits. Murray came in for relief and closed down the offensive efforts of Aurora University. She never gave up a hit and struck out one batter while the Saxon defense did the rest.

The defense showed up big in the bottom of the seventh inning. Aurora's first batter sent a laser of a shot but Ceja's glove at second base was quicker as she snagged it out of the air, cross-bodied for the early out. The next two batters got on second and first. The Saxons picked up the last two outs with a flyout to left field where Alexander was waiting for the catch and Alvis reaching for the cross-body third out on yet another, hard shot to left field.

The Saxons will have back-to-back early games on Tuesday, March 6 when they take on Muskingum University at 9AM and Defiance College at 11:15AM.