ALFRED, NY – Junior infielder Ashley Lugo (Hesperia, CA/Oak Hills) set the Alfred University and Empire 8 career steals record, leading the charge as the Alfred University softball team swept Nazareth, in Empire 8 action from Harrington Field Tuesday evening.
 
Alfred (18-5, 9-3 Empire 8) defeated Nazareth (2-12, 2-10 Empire 8) 9-1 in game one and 10-0 in game two to win its eighth consecutive game. The Saxons and Golden Flyers will meet again in Rochester on Friday, April 23, beginning at 3 p.m.
 
Lugo entered the afternoon just two stolen bases away from tying the AU and Empire 8 all-time record of 68, originally set by Liz Thompson '17. She tallied one in game one's victory, then tied the record in the first inning of game two.
 
With the Saxons batting around, Lugo got a chance at history after she got on with a single. She didn't take long, stealing on the first pitch to set the all-time mark. She added one more to finish the day with 70 career stolen bases. With 33 stolen bases this season, Lugo currently sits third in Division III, and fifth across all three NCAA Divisions. As a team, AU has stolen 69 bases, surpassing a program record originally set by the 2015 and 2017 teams.
 
"We had an all-around great team effort tonight," said head coach Luke Wesneski. "Our pitchers threw very well, and our offense was aggressive and took advantage of some great opportunities. Our defense was sound in both games with no errors, and that's an area that has not been our strength. Congratulations to Ashley Lugo for breaking the school record and the E8 record for stolen bases."
 
GAME ONE
The Saxons got busy to begin the first game. Singles by junior outfielder Alyssa Guitron (San Bernardino, CA/Cajon), junior infielder Tatiana Mejia (North Hills, CA/John F. Kennedy), and senior outfielder Sydney Saucedo (Whittier, CA/La Serna) set the table for graduate infielder Elena Ceja (Redondo Beach, CA/Redondo Beach Union) with one out. Ceja delivered with a single up the middle, scoring two as the Saxons pushed ahead. After Ceja stole second, sophomore infielder Molly Lawson (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA/Trabuco) tacked on the third run with an RBI single past the second baseman.
 
In the second, the Saxons struck again with one on and one out. Lugo tripled into left field, scoring junior infielder Mara Moore (Torrance, CA/West). The throw from the left fielder sailed away, as Lugo was able to scurry home to give the Saxons a 5-0 lead. Adding to the lead in the third, Ceja led off with a double, before Lawson brought her home with an RBI single. A few batters later, Lugo struck again with an RBI double into center field, scoring two more runs. Guitron later brought Lugo home with another RBI with two outs, as the Saxons took a commanding 9-0 lead.
 
Saxon starter, graduate pitcher Jessica Wilcox (Forestville, NY/Pine Valley) was electric once again, scattering four hits in four innings pitched, striking out 10 for her ninth victory of the season. She would give up just one run, a solo home run by Sarah Simmons. Senior pitcher Moreta Dyke (Milesburg, PA/Bald Eagle Area) made her season debut in the circle in relief, allowing just one hit in one inning pitched as the Saxons earned the five-inning victory.
 
The Saxons tallied 14 hits in game one, led by a 3-for-3 performance by Lawson, the first three-hit performance of her career. Lugo went 2-for-3 with three runs driven in.
 
GAME TWO
The Saxons wasted little time in the second game, tallying a season-best 10 runs in the first inning. Lugo began the Saxons' end of the first inning with a leadoff double, then stole third base to tie the all-time mark. Guitron brought her home with an RBI single up the middle for the first run of the game. A few batters later, an error by the catcher gave AU its second run, as Guitron scored from third base. A few batters later, junior infielder Allison O'Toole (Simi Valley, CA/Simi Valley) drove in two with an RBI double to left field, as the Saxons doubled its lead.
 
After Moore flied out to center field, the Saxons had runners on second and third with two away. Sophomore outfielder Isabella Carrillo (Van Nuys, CA/Birmingham Community Charter) then singled in a run, scoring O'Toole. After the pitching change, Lugo singled up the middle, scoring Carrillo from second base. Lugo then took off on the first pitch she saw in the next at-bat for the milestone stolen base, then stole third on the very next pitch. An error eventually brought her home as the Saxons led 8-0. Two batters later, first year infielder Mya Wells (San Ramon, CA/California) capped the inning with a two-run double to left field, as the Saxons took a commanding 10-0 lead.
 
In all, 14 Saxons went up to bat, as AU tallied 10 runs in an inning for the first time since tallying 11 runs in the fourth inning of an 18-0 victory over Augsburg on March 15, 2014.
 
With that much run support, first year pitcher Megan Bennett (Athens, PA/Athens Area) cruised to her sixth victory (6-1) of the season. She pitched three shutout innings, scattering three hits and adding three strikeouts. Sophomore pitcher Arden Hatch (Orangevale, CA/St. Francis) pitched two scoreless innings in relief, striking out two batters to complete the team shutout.
 
Offensively, Lugo went 2-for-2 with three stolen bases, two runs scored, and an RBI. Mejia went 2-for-3, scoring a pair of runs, while O'Toole went 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Senior outfielder Gillian Flint (Caledonia, NY/Caledonia-Mumford) tallied her first hit of the season, going 1-for-2.