ROCHESTER, NY – A walk-off home run by St. John Fisher's Allie Klonowski in the 10th inning lifted the 12^th-ranked Cardinals past the Alfred University softball team, as the Saxons dropped two to their conference rivals from the Softball Complex Tuesday evening.
 
The Saxons (10-4, 1-3 Empire 8) fell 4-1 in game one and lost a heartbreaking 5-4 extra-inning decision in game two. St. John Fisher (11-1, 6-0 Empire 8), ranked 12^th in the latest National Fastpitch Coaches Association polls, remains undefeated in conference action.
 
GAME ONE
 
Solid baserunning instincts gave the Saxons an early game one lead. Junior infielder Ashley Lugo (Hesperia, CA/Oak Hills) was hit by a pitch to lead the game. Lugo then stole second and was eventually moved over to third base with two outs. Graduate infielder Elena Ceja (Redondo Beach, CA/Redondo Beach Union) hit a grounder to the Fisher shortstop; her errant throw scored Lugo for the 1-0 lead.
 
Graduate pitcher Jessica Wilcox (Forestville, NY/Pine Valley) retired six of the first seven batters faced early on but ran into trouble in the third. With a runner on first and one away, St. John Fisher starting pitcher Emily Trotman helped her own cause with a two-run home run to left field, giving the Cardinals a 2-1 lead.
 
The Saxons threatened in the fifth inning. Lugo got on with a one-out single past the diving first baseman. An error, a wild pitch, and a walk loaded the bases for Ceja with one out. Ceja hit a comebacker to Trotman, who began a 1-2-3 double play to end the threat. Fisher then added a pair of runs in the sixth, via a two-run home run by Rachel Evans, for the final tally.
 
Six different Saxons tallied hits. Wilcox (6-1) took her first loss of the season but was still plenty effective, allowing four earned runs on six hits in six innings pitched, striking out 10 Cardinals, her sixth such outing with double-digit strikeouts. Trotman (5-1) allowed one run on six hits, striking out five for the win.
 
 
GAME TWO
 
Game two was another close contest, and the Saxons once again struck first. With one out in the third inning, junior infielder Tatiana Mejia (North Hills, CA/John F. Kennedy) flexed her muscles, sending a shot to deep center field for a home run, her first of the season and second of her career, as the Saxons led 1-0.
 
Fisher struck with runs in the fifth and sixth innings. Allison Rogowski hit a one-out, RBI double to left center, tying the game at one. In the sixth, Klonowski hit a solo homer to right center, giving the Cardinals a 2-1 advantage.
 
With their backs against the wall, the Saxons struck back in the seventh. With sophomore outfielder Isabella Carrillo (Van Nuys, CA/Birmingham Community Charter) at third base with one out, senior outfielder Sydney Saucedo (Whittier, CA/La Serna) knocked in an RBI single, tying the game at two. Wilcox, entering the game in relief in the fifth, struck out the side in order in the seventh to force extras.
 
Both teams held runners in scoring position throughout the extra frames. In the top of the eighth, the Saxons had junior outfielder Alyssa Guitron (San Bernardino, CA/Cajon) on third base with two outs, before sophomore infielder Molly Lawson (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA/Trabuco) flew out to center field to end the threat. In the bottom of the frame, the Cardinals had runners on second and third base with two outs, before Wilcox forced Evans to strike out swinging to end the inning.
 
With the international tie breaker rule in effect for the 10th inning, the Saxons took advantage. With one out and Guitron at the plate, the junior knocked an RBI double to left field, scoring first year infielder Raygan Wescott (Taft, CA/Taft Union) to take a 3-2 lead. After Guitron advanced on the wild pitch, first year infielder Mya Wells (San Ramon, CA/California) then rewarded Guitron with a groundout to second base, scoring Guitron to take a 4-2 lead into the bottom of the frame.
 
In the bottom of the 10th inning, Wilcox struck out the first batter swinging, before the Cardinals got a hit to move runners to first and third with one away. The graduate pitcher then struck out Megan Kreger for the second out, as Klonowski came up to bat. Wilcox got ahead of her, facing a 1-2 count. She challenged Klonowski, but the Cardinal sophomore responded with a walk-off, three-run home run, the ball landing just over the leaping glove of Saucedo in right center.
 
Guitron led the Saxons with three hits in game two, scoring a run and driving in another. Saucedo and Lugo each tallied two hits. First year pitcher Megan Bennett (Athens, PA/Athens Area) was solid, allowing just one earned run on two hits in 4 1/3 innings pitched, striking out three in the no-decision. Wilcox (6-2) took the tough loss but struck out 11 batters in 5 1/3 innings pitched, as she reached the 100 strike out mark this season.
 
The Saxons will look to bounce back at home on Wednesday, hosting Houghton in an evening doubleheader from Doris Harrington Field. First pitch for game one of the twin bill will begin at 5 p.m.