ALFRED, NY -- Only nine days after setting the Alfred University softball (18-10, 6-2 Empire 8) strikeout record (13), sophomore Jessica Wilcox (Forestville, NY/Pine Valley) increased that record to 14 strikeouts in a single game while the Saxons went on to sweep the Gators 9-2 in back-to-back games.

Wilcox dominated in game one against Sage, striking out the side in the bottom of the second and sixth innings. Senior Shannon Schaefer (Westfield, NJ/Westfield) went on to control the second game, earning her ninth win of the season.

Senior Haley Powers (Newark, DE/St. Georges Tech) was unstoppable at the dish, going 7-for-9 on the day, getting four hits in the first game and three in the second. First year Trisha Whaley (Chittenango, NY/Chittenango) batted in seven runs in the two games.

Game One

The Saxon offense got started in the top of the third inning when Wilcox was hit by a pitch in the opening at-bat. Sophomore Jillian Murray (Eden, NY/Eden) move her over to second base on a sac bunt. Wilcox continued to third on a wild pitch and scored when junior Lu Krawczyk (West Seneca, NY/West Seneca West) singled to second. Krawczyk kept the inning moving when she stole second and was hit in by Powers, who nailed a triple to right field. Powers was then scored by Whaley on a single.

Sage scored a run an inning later before Whaley knocked in another RBI after Powers made her way around the bases.The Saxons scored again in the top of the sixth when Schaefer bunted for a single and was batted in by Murray, bringing the game to 5-1.

AU put a bow on the game in the top of the seventh scoring three runs on five hits. Whaley earned her third RBI of the game, scoring Powers again. Whaley eventually scored after fellow first year Sydney Saucedo (Whittier, CA/La Serna) put the ball in play. Junior Becca Alexander (Middletown, DE/Middletown) and Saucedo rounded out the runs scored in the game.

Powers led the Saxons with four hits and three runs while Whaley batted in three RBIs. As an offensive unit, AU racked up 15 hits in the game. 

Wilcox pitched her 11th complete game of the year while setting the new strikeout standard and allowing only four hits. 

Game Two

The Saxons remained hot in the second game, scoring three runs in each of the opening two innings, jumping out to an early 6-1 lead. The AU run was highlighted by a three-run homer by Whaley.

The Saxons were quiet until the fourth inning when Murray added another homerun to the stat sheet and increased the AU lead, 7-1.

Sage scored in the bottom of the fourth before the Saxons rattled off two more runs in the top of the sixth. Whaley racked up another RBI on the day, while she singled to second. Powers scored during the next at-bat on a wild pitch. AU took the game, 9-2.

The Saxons recorded 15 hits in the game, while six AU batters had two hits. Schaefer went the entire game, tallying five strikeouts and earning her ninth win of the year.

AU remains on the road tomorrow when they travel to Utica to take on the Pioneers.