MEADVILLE, Pa.—The Allegheny College softball team swept a thrilling North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) doubleheader against Kenyon College Tuesday (March 25).
The Gators won each game 1-0.
Kala Mahen held the Ladies hitless in game one. The no-hitter was 24
th in the history of the program and the first for the Gators since Alison Korotkin did it against Thiel College on March 31 of 2008.
Jessica Gordon provided the game winning RBI in the bottom of the seventh in game two, scoring
Megan Hazlett for the win.
GAME ONE
The Ladies threatened in the first, putting a runner at third, but Mahen got the Gators out of the inning by striking out the final batter of the inning.
With one out in the first,
Maria DiDonato hit an infield single.
Taylor Massart earned a walk to put runners on first and second, but the ladies got out of the jam to keep the game scoreless.
Once again, each team threatened with runners on third in the second, but neither was able to capitalize on the opportunity.
With two outs in the fifth,
Paige Blinkiewicz doubled and reached third on an error during the play. However, the Ladies got out of the inning with a strikeout.
The Gators cracked the scoreboard in the sixth. With two outs Hazlett and
Jessica Valerino hit back-to-back singles. Gordon followed up by hitting into an error, which allowed Hazlett to score from second base for the first run of the game.
The Ladies earned a walk to lead off the top of the seventh, but the Gator first baseman
Abrianna Sadler forced a double play on a lineout. With two outs, Mahen struck out her fourth batter to secure the no-hitter win for the Gators.
Mahen picked up her fifth win of the season, striking out four batters.
Hazlett scored the winning run for the Gators, as she had one of the Gators five hits. Blinkiewicz doubled while DiDonato and Massart hit singles.
GAME TWO
The Gators recorded hits in the first and third inning but were unable to take advantage as the game remained scoreless after three innings.
The Ladies put runners on second and third with one out in the fourth. The Gators got the lead runner at home on a grounder to first base for out number two. With runners on the corners,
Miranda Arison got the Gators out of the inning unscathed with a strikeout.
DiDonato led off the fourth with her second infield single of the game. Massart earned a walk to put runners on first and second after a sac bunt by
Jessica Zavolta but once again, the Ladies kept the Gators from crossing the plate.
In the top of the sixth, the Ladies loaded the bases up with two outs, but Arison forced a groundout to get out of the inning.
With one out in the top of the seventh, Hazlett singled to center field. Valerino advanced her to second on a groundout. Gordon brought Hazlett home from second with a walkoff single, sealing the sweep for the Gators.
DiDonato had a pair of hits for the Gators while Gordon, Blinkiewicz, Hazlett and Sadler also tallied hits.
ARison allowed just three hits in seven innings while striking out seven.
The Gators are back in action Thursday (April 27) for a nonconference road doubleheader at Thiel College.
