GREENCASTLE, Ind. -  Wittenberg took advantage of a pair of Gator defensive miscues to break open a tie ballgame with two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and send Allegheny to a 4-2 loss in the opening game of the 2015 North Coast Athletic Conference Championship Tournament.

With the loss, the third-seeded Gators will face off against the loser of the day's second game between #1 DePauw and #4 Denison in Friday's 4 p.m. elimination contest.

Allegheny starter Caitlin Nealer was saddled with the hard-luck loss in the circle for the Gators, as just two of the Tigers' four runs were earned, while Nealer struck out nine batters and allowed seven hits.

The Gators looked primed for a strong start, loading the bases with two outs in the top of the first after Belle Mazurik walked, Sadie Stuart was hit by a pitch, and Jaricka Simmerman singled.  Hannah Blinn lifted a bloop that appeared to be headed for the grass behind the first base bag, but the Tigers' Charlee Clark stretched to make a lunging over-the-shoulder catch to end the inning.

Wittenberg struck first, using a trio of singles in the bottom of the first to take a 1-0 lead, before scoring an unearned run in the bottom of the third after a dropped fly ball in the outfield to go in front 2-0.

The Gator offense continued to struggle to get the big hit, stranding a pair of runners in the third and one in the fifth before finally breaking through in the top of the sixth.  Stuart began the frame with a sharp single to right field, advanced to second on a wild pitch, and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt from Nealer.  Two batters later, Taylor Massart fought back from an 0-2 count to draw a walk, before Allie Landowski snuck a grounder through the right side to bring home Stuart with the Gators' first run.  On the very next pitch, Jessica Zavolta cracked a single to center to score Shannen Segiel (running for Massart) and tie the game at 2-2.

The deadlock wouldn't last long, however, as the Tigers scored the game-deciding runs in the bottom of the sixth.  The Tigers' Abby Baker singled to lead off, before Casey Hobbs hit a high fly ball into the outfield that was misplayed, putting runners at first and second.  A sacrifice bunt would move them both into scoring position, before Nealer's pitch on a Wittenberg fake bunt attempt went back to the backstop and brought home Baker and Hobbs.

Mazurik led off the seventh with a sharp single to left center, but Tiger starter Hannah Zang would close the door by getting a groundout and a weak liner to end the game.

The Gators totaled six hits in the loss, led by Mazurik, who went 2-for-2 while also drawing a pair of walks.  Stuart reached base twice, adding a walk to her single and hit-by-pitch, while Simmerman, Landowski, and Zavolta each had one hit apiece.