CLERMONT, Fla. – A pair of Michigan foes spoiled Allegheny's season-opening doubleheader at the National Training Center Games, as Calvin topped the Gators 11-5 in the opener, before Hope closed out the double dip with a 12-1 win.
In the opener, the Gators jumped out to a 4-0 lead, before Calvin roared back with a nine-run sixth inning. In the nightcap, Hope took a 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning and never looked back, totaling eight hits and taking advantage of eight walks in the win.
In game one, Gator senior
Belle Mazurik got her team off to a strong start. The second baseman led off with a walk, and then advanced two bases on a
Jaricka Simmerman sacrifice bunt. Mazurik then gave Allegheny an early 1-0 lead when she scored on a passed ball.
In the home half of the first, Gator starter
Miranda Arison pitched out of a early jam, allowing three base runners before escaping with a strikeout and groundout.
Allegheny added to its lead in the top of the third.
Taylor Massart led off with a single, before
Leah Herlocker beat out a bunt base hit to put runners at first and second. Mazurik smacked a liner to center to load the bases, before each runner moved up 60 feet on a wild pitch to put the Gators up 2-0.
Caitlin Nealer then followed with a single to right center to plate Herlocker and Mazurik and give Allegheny a 4-0 lead.
Calvin got a pair of runs back in the bottom of the third thanks to a two-run double by Lyida Gildea. The Knights then did the bulk of their damage in the bottom of the fifth, sending 14 batters to the plate and scoring nine runs on four hits, four walks, and three errors to go in front 11-4.
The Gators closed the scoring with one run in the top of the seventh when an RBI grounder from
Abrianna Sadler brought home Massart, who led the inning off with her second hit of the day.
Allegheny out-hit the Knights 10-7 in the opener, led by Mazurik's 3-for-3 performance and Massart's 2-for-3 showing. Calvin took advantage of seven walks at the plate, as well as two errors that led to four unearned runs.
In the nightcap, Hope got off to a blazing start, with the first six batters reaching base en-route to a 4-0 Flying Dutchmen lead in the first inning.
The Gators cut into the deficit in the bottom half. Mazurik led off with a walk, and took second on an error after a failed pickoff attempt. Simmerman's second sacrifice bunt of the afternoon moved Mazurik to third, before Nealer singled to center to make it 4-1.
It marked the lone offensive highlight of the afternoon for the Gators, as Hope scored two more times in the second before putting the game away with a nine-run fifth inning to send the game to an early finish.
Nealer started in the circle and took the loss, working 4 1/3 innings and allowing 10 hits with five strikeouts.
Offensively, Allegheny managed just two hits in the nightcap, on Nealer's second inning single and a double by Simmerman in the second, the freshman's first career hit.
The Gators will look to shake off the slow start when they return to action on Tuesday, as they face off against Wisconsin-Stout at 5 p.m. and Macalester College at 7 p.m.
