As a graduate student this year, Wilcox is back pitching for the Saxons and she has opened her season in impressive fashion.

Wilcox was named the Empire 8 Conference’s Pitcher of the Week on Monday after seeing action in three games.

Wilcox had double-digit strikeouts in all three contests as she tied her own single-game strikeout school record and then broke her own school record just three days after. Wilcox could have possibly broke her school record of 14 strikeouts in a single game at Fredonia but the Saxons posted a five-inning win against the Blue Devils with 12 strikeouts. The very next day, Wilcox tied her record with 14 strikeouts in a win against Ithaca College. On Saturday, she finally broke the record with 15 strikeouts against the Pioneers of Utica College, only allowing two hits and one walk. Wilcox is still undefeated on the season with a 6-0 record. Wednesday’s win over Ithaca College was her fourth time getting 14 strikeouts in a single game before she topped that on Saturday.

When COVID-19 shut down the 2020 season while the Saxons were on Spring Break, Lugo and Wilcox ended the last week of Empire 8 awards with a sweep as well.

In eight games this spring, Wilcox is 6-1 with a 1.65 earned run average. She has struck out 92 batters in 51 innings of work. Photo courtesy of Alfred University Athletics

In eight games this spring, Wilcox is 6-1 with a 1.65 earned run average. She has struck out 92 batters in 51 innings of work.

In a 17-1 victory over SUNY Fredonia on April 6, Wilcox won her 40th career game to set the program’s wins record.

“Congratulations to Jess Wilcox for breaking the Alfred wins record,” head coach Luke Wesneski said at the time. “It was well deserved. She has been the face of Alfred softball for a few years and we’re looking for great things for her and all of our pitchers for the remainder of the season.”

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ERIE, Pa. — Penn State Behrend freshman Christopher Annear (Fredonia/Fredonia Central School) was named the 2021 Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Men’s Newcomer of the Year. Annear finished in fifth place at the AMCC Championship with a time of 19:40.59. Annear is an industrial and systems engineering major from Fredonia.

In addition to the Annear, six Penn State Behrend men’s cross country runners earned All-Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference honors. The Lions won the AMCC Championship with a team score of 23. Leading the way for Penn State Behrend was Phoenix Myers (Erie, Pa./Seneca High School). Myers was the top Behrend performer at the 2021 AMCC Cross Country Championships, finishing second overall with a time 18:36.68.

Joining Myers were Jake Lehotsky (Erie, Pa./Fort LeBoeuf High School) in third place and Annear, Nick Temel (Conneaut Lake, Pa./Conneaut Lake High School) and Aidan Domencic (Cranberry Township, Pa./Seneca Valley High School) who placed fifth, sixth and seventh, respectively. John Anderson (Emlenton, Pa./Keystone High School) rounded out the pack with a 12th-place finish.

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HOUGHTON — A big weekend at the plate earned Houghton freshman Chris VanCheri (Silver Creek/Silver Creek Central School) the Empire 8 Baseball Rookie of the Week honor for the week ending April 11.

VanCheri batted 7-for-14 in four games for the Highlanders including a triple and two walks, while catching all four games Friday and Saturday as Houghton went 2-2 against Utica. VanCheri also scored three runs and tallied four RBIs for the team.

On the season, the exercise science major is batting .455 with two triples, seven RBIs and five runs scored.

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Emilee Hanlon (Dunkirk/Volunteer State Community College) has scored four runs in 12 games played for the University of South Florida’s softball team this spring.

The sophomore transfer played in 64 games over her first two collegiate seasons, batting .483 with two home runs, nine doubles, seven triples, 91 stolen bases, 55 RBIs and 91 runs scored.

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HERSHEY, Pa. — The California University of Pennsylvania men’s golf team posted a 36-over 320 in the second round to close the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championships in sixth place at 59-over 627 (307-320) on Saturday.

IUP recorded the lowest score of the event on Saturday at 13-over 297 to capture the league title by four strokes with a 33-over 601 (304-297). The Crimson Hawks have now won four of the last five conference championships. Mercyhurst finished second at the event with a 37-over 605 (300-305) and Shepherd placed third in the team standings at 52-over 620 (315-305).

Junior Kole Maytum (Dewittville/Chautauqua Lake Central School) finished with a 26-over 168 to tie for 40th overall. Maytum carded a final-round 16-over 87.

The Vulcans return to action at the 57th Cecil Spadafora Invitational hosted by IUP this weekend.

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Kyler Majka (Mayville/Chautauqua Lake Central School) earned his first win on the mound for the University of Pittsburgh-Bradford on Tuesday.

The right-hander threw 5 2/3 innings, allowing five runs (three earnd) and nine hits while striking out five and walking three in the Panthers’ 7-5 Game 1 victory over Hilbert.

On the season, Majka is 1-2 with a 4.63 earned run average, striking out 12 in 11 2/3 innings of work.