Clermont, Fla. – The Alfred University softball team may have had its season cut dramatically short, but the ending was nothing short of perfection.
Senior
Jessica Wilcox (Forestville, NY/Pine Valley) pitched her first career perfect game at any level, leading the charge as the Saxons ended the season with a dominating sweep in the final day of THE Spring Games, held at the Hancock Recreational Complex Saturday morning.
Alfred finishes its season with a 7-5 record after 12 games in Florida. The Saxons defeated Minnesota-Morris (0-3) in a historic 14-0 decision in game one, then completed the Saturday shutout with a 6-0 victory against Ursinus (6-6) in game two.
After an emotionally draining Friday for Wilcox, the senior took the circle in game one on Saturday and dominated, needing just 72 pitches to throw the program's second perfect game in 838 tries. With her 15 outs, she struck out 12 Minnesota-Morris batters, forced two fly outs and one groundout. She also grabbed a bat and helped her own cause, going 1-for-3, driving in a run, scoring twice, and stealing her first career base. She finishes the 12-game season with an impressive 0.72 earned run average in 38.2 innings pitched, striking out 56 batters and throwing a pair of shutouts for a 4-3 record.
"It was a very unique and special week for Alfred Softball," said head coach
Luke Wesneski. "We got a chance to witness some outstanding things throughout this uncertain journey we were on. Our team had some of its highest highs and lowest lows, but showed that softball is just a small part of the wonderful things this sport brings to the table. To say I am proud is an understatement. The support showed to other teams was just amazing, and that was unprovoked and just out of the kindness of their hearts and love of the sport and people involved. It would be so easy to be selfish at a time like this but what we saw was just pure excitement, joy, and a selfless celebration for those that were affected throughout this week."
"As for yesterday, what a bittersweet way to end a shortened season," added Wesneski. " Jessica throwing a perfect game and AU celebrating the years of service of all of our players and others involved. To go out with two shutout wins, on a day in which softball took a backseat to so many other things, is storybook. I am super proud of our team, our coaches, and our university. I am beyond grateful to say that we are Alfred, we are SAXONS, and WE WILL BE BACK. See you all next year!"
GAME ONE
The Saxons struck first in game one, as
Ashley Lugo (Hesperia, CA/Oak Hills) scored the first run after stealing third base. The throw by the catcher went wide, allowing Lugo to scamper home. As Wilcox's arm heated up, so did the Saxon bats. The third inning began with
Alana Eaton (Corning, NY/Corning-Painted Post) bunting on with a leadoff single to third base. Lugo and
Alyssa Guitron (San Bernardino, CA/Cajon) singled to load the bases, and two batters later, Wilcox stepped up to the plate with two outs.
Wilcox and the seniors helped to break the dam open, knocking in a hard-hit RBI single to the shortstop. Fellow senior
Jill Murray (Eden, NY/Eden) then hit a single to right field, scoring senior
Elena Ceja (Redondo Beach, CA/Redondo Beach Union) and Guitron for a 4-0 lead. The Saxons weren't done yet, as Wilcox scored on a passed ball in the next at-bat.
Allison O'Toole (Simi Valley, CA/Simi Valley) loaded the bases on a hit by pitch, then
Sydney Saucedo (Whittier, CA/La Serna) got on via a Minnesota-Morris error, giving the Saxons a 6-0 lead. Eaton tallied her second hit of the inning, scoring O'Toole for the 7-0 lead, then Guitron followed with a two-run knock through the right side, giving AU an impressive 9-0 lead. The Saxons tallied eight runs on seven hits in the inning and sent 13 batters to the plate.
AU put another crooked number in the fourth inning. Loading the bases once again, this time for
Isabella Carrillo (Van Nuys, CA/Birmingham Community Charter) with one out. She drew the walk, scoring
Tatiana Mejia (North Hills, CA/John F. Kennedy) for the 10-run lead. Eaton then reached on a fielder's choice, scoring Wilcox. With runners on first and second with two outs, Lugo capped the scoring with a three-run home run over the wall in right field, her second in as many days.
It was all Wilcox from there, who struck out the side in the fourth. In the fifth inning, with ideas of a perfect game dancing in everyone's head. She struck out the first batter, then forced the next batter to fly out to right field. With one batter away from perfection, Wilcox sent the Minnesota-Morris batter away on three pitches, clinching history.
The Saxons tallied a season-high 14 runs on 10 hits in the game one victory. Lugo had another scintillating performance, going 3-for-3 with three RBI on the aforementioned homer, three runs scored, one base on balls, and one stolen base. Eaton and Guitron each went 2-for-3 with two RBI. Mejia, Wilcox, and Murray each tallied a hit.
GAME TWO
Wilcox got the game two nod against Ursinus, but only threw one pitch, coming out to receive a curtain call from the family and friends in attendance in Florida. Murray came on in relief and also threw one pitch, the final one in her career as she, too was sent off to applause. They gave the ball to rookie
Arden Hatch (Orangevale, CA/St. Francis) who took control and dominated, keeping the Ursinus bats off kilter all morning en route to a three-hit, complete-game shutout with six strikeouts. Hatch finished her rookie season with a 2-1 record.
Offensively, the Saxons got on the board in the third inning. With the bases loaded, Ceja drove in a run via a groundout, scoring
Gillian Flint (Caledonia, NY/Caledonia-Mumford) to put the Saxons on the board. Eaton then scored on a passed ball, doubling the margin. O'Toole finished the inning with a comebacker up the middle, scoring Mejia for the 3-0 lead.
In the fourth, Guitron hit a one-out sacrifice fly into right field, scoring Saucedo for the 4-0 lead. Murray would then tack on Saxon runs in the fifth (no out, RBI single) and the sixth (bases-loaded walk) for the 6-0 advantage. With the win just three outs away, Hatch struck out the first batter, then walked the second. Undeterred, the first year forced a popup to herself for the second out, then forced a groundout, as O'Toole snagged the grounder and tagged second base to end the season.
Alfred tallied 11 hits in game two. Eaton and O'Toole each tallied three hits. Lugo went 2-for-3 to end her season with an impressive .441 batting average. Guitron, Murray, and Mejia also added a hit.
Before game two, the Saxons and the Bears teamed up to honor its seniors for one last time. Ursinus honored its lone senior, Jennifer Hammons, and the Saxons honored Murray, Ceja, Wilcox, and Eaton. It was the culmination of 48 hours worth of senior day celebrations, as the Saxons helped to honor seniors from Ursinus, Concordia-Chicago, and DeSales.
