Above, Pine Valley alum Jessica Wilcox throws a pitch during the 2016 Senior All-Star game. Wilcox ended her collegiate career with Alfred University this weekend by throwing a Perfect Game, in a 14-0 victory for the Saxons against the University of Minnesota Morris. OBSERVER File Photo

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, who played her high school ball at Pine Valley, pitched the first perfect game in Alfred University softball history, 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.

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 first 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.

The Saxons struck first, as Ashley Lugo 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 bunting on with a leadoff single to third base. Lugo and Alyssa Guitron 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 then hit a single to right field, scoring senior Elena Ceja 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 loaded the bases on a hit by pitch, then Sydney Saucedo 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 with one out. She drew the walk, scoring Tatiana Mejia 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.

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 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.

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.