KISSIMMEE, FL – The Alfred University softball team lost its first two games of the season on Tuesday against Muskingum and Defiance.

Game One

The Saxons (4-2, 0-0 Empire 8) were shutout against Muskingum, 3-0 on Tuesday morning. Jessica Wilcox (Forestville, NY/Pine Valley) had a strong game on the mound despite the shutout loss. She struck out 10 batters to make it her second game with double-digit strikeouts. She only gave up five hits and walked no batters while the Saxon bats couldn't get a hit.

Game Two

Alfred University began some offense in the second game of the day, a 6-2 loss to Defiance. The Saxons scored first in the bottom of the first when Lea Georgatos (Emerson, NJ/Immaculate Conception) hit a single down the right field line that drove in Elena Ceja (Redondo Beach, CA/Redondo Beach Union).

Defiance responded with two runs in the second inning, both unearned with errors. AU tied the game at two immediately after as Kelley Staub (Eden, NY/Eden) reached first base on an error by Defiance's first baseman. As she advanced to second and then third on the error, Shannon Schaefer (Westfield, NJ/Westfield) sprinted home. Neither of Alfred's runs were earned.

The Saxons totaled four hits in the outing with three walks and had only two batters strike out. Schaefer picked up the loss with four strikeouts, nine hits and three earned runs. Jillian Murray (Eden, NY/Eden) came in to strike out one batter, give up three hits and one earned run.

The Saxons will take a break on Wednesday before facing Emerson at 1:30PM on Thursday, March 8 and then Muhlenberg College afterwards at 6PM.