MEADVILLE, Pa. – The Allegheny women's softball team split with Hiram in its final regular season doubleheader, as the Gators topped the Terriers 14-6 in the opener, before being edged 5-4 in the nightcap.

The Gators close the regular season at 14-13-1 overall and 10-5-1 in the North Coast Athletic Conference, and will now prep for the two-day NCAC postseason tournament slated for this Friday and Saturday.

In an offensive battle, the Gators blasted five extra-base hits – including two homers from Taylor Massart – to win the opener in five innings, before Hiram took advantage of three Gator errors to plate four unearned runs in the nightcap and spoil the Gators' regular season finale.

In game one, Allegheny wasted little time getting on the board, scoring six times in the bottom of the first.  Alexis Ryan and Belle Mazurik each singled, before Caitlin Nealer walked to load the bases.  Sadie Stuart promptly smacked a double to the fence in right-center, scoring Ryan and Mazurik to make it 2-0.  A single from Jaricka Simmerman brought home Stuart and Nealer to double up the lead, before Massart hit her first blast of the day with a towering shot to straightaway center field to give the Gators a 6-0 advantage.

After Hiram charged back to cut the lead in half with three runs in the top of the second, Allegheny countered by scoring twice in the bottom.  With one out, Nealer smacked a double to left center, and Stuart followed by blasting the first pitch she saw over the fence in center for her 21st career home run, moving into third place all-time in Allegheny history.

The Terriers again answered right back to score three more times in the top of the third to cut the deficit to 8-6, before the Gators began to pull away for good.
In the bottom of the third, Ryan led off with a single and stole second base.  Mazurik followed with a walk, before Nealer hit a shot to third base that caromed off the third baseman.  Ryan scored on the play, as did Mazurik, who crossed the plate after the throw home to get Ryan went to the backstop.   Nealer, who moved to second on the play, eventually scored after a pair of wild pitches to put Allegheny in front 11-6.

After Hannah Blinn walked to lead off the bottom of the fourth, Massart followed with her second home run of the day, taking a 2-2 pitch well over the fence in left center to make it 13-6.  The Gators would close out the abbreviated victory in the fifth inning.   Mazurik singled to right field with one out, stole second, and then scored after a pair of wild throws to close out the 14-8 decision.

Seven different Gators had at least one hit in the victory, with five players posting multi-hit games.  Massart went 2-for-3 with her two homers and four RBIs, while Stuart also added four RBIs, with a homer and a double.  Nealer, Mazurik, and Ryan also added two hits apiece.

Nealer, named the NCAC's Pitcher of the Week earlier in the day,   went all five innings in the circle, striking out nine to earn the win.

In the nightcap, Nealer opened by fanning the first two batters on six pitches, before Hiram took advantage of a two-out error to score three unearned runs and take an early 3-0 lead.

The Terriers added one more in the top of the third, before the Gators began to mount the comeback trail.  Jessica Zavolta led off with a single, before Mazurik was hit by a pitch.  Nealer followed with a double off the fence in center field, scoring Stella Pratt, who was pinch running for Zavolta.  Mazurik then scored the Gators' second inning of the frame after a sacrifice fly to deep right field from Stuart.

Allegheny made it a one-run game in the bottom of the fifth, as Ryan led off with a single and was eventually brought home by a sacrifice fly from Nealer to make the score 4-3.

The Gators would finally tie it in the bottom of the sixth.  Blinn led off with a single through the right side, and gave way to pinch runner Rachel Ramsey.  Two batters later, Zavolta stroked a single to center to plate Ramsey and even the score at 4-4.

The tie was short-lived, however, as the Terriers took advantage of the Gators' third error of the game to manufacture an unearned run in the top of the seventh to take the late lead.    Stuart opened the bottom of the seventh by reaching on an error, but was stranded on base, as the Terriers put down the final Gator comeback bid.

Nealer again went the distance in the circle and was saddled with a hard-luck loss, allowing just one unearned run while striking out a season-high 11 batters in her final appearance at the Robertson Athletic Complex.

The Gators out-hit the Terriers 8-5 in the loss, with Ryan and Zavolta each going 2-for-3.

Allegheny will now have a three-day break before opening play on Friday at the four-team NCAC Tournament, hosted by DePauw University.  Seeded third in the double-elimination tourney, the Gators will take on #2 Wittenberg in the opener at 10 a.m., and depending on the outcome, will return to action at either 2 p.m. or 4 p.m.