DELAWARE, Ohio - The Allegheny softball team dropped both ends of a North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) doubleheader at Ohio Wesleyan falling 10-0 in the opener before being edged 4-3 in the nightcap.
In the opener, Ohio Wesleyan pulled away with seven runs in the fifth inning, before the Gators saw a late seventh-inning rally fall just short in the nightcap, and were dealt a one-run loss.
GAME ONE - Ohio Wesleyan 10, Allegheny 0
In game one, the host Battling Bishops used two hits, a walk, and a hit batter to take an early 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning.
Reliever
Allison Cabo was able to keep the deficit at three over the next two frames, facing just one batter over the minimum, and the Gators looked to rally in the top of the third.
Maria DiDonato led off the inning by reaching on an infield single, before
Paige Blinkiewicz reached on a walk. However, after a sacrifice bunt from
Jessica Valerino, the inning would come to an abrupt halt, as
Jessica Zavolta hit a hard line drive that was snared for an out and turned into a double play, keeping the Gators off the board.
Taylor Massart led off the top of the fourth by reaching on a single, and moved into scoring position on a groundball from
Abrianna Sadler. Ohio Wesleyan's Bianca Sibilly would pitch out of trouble again, inducing a groundout and pop up to keep the shutout in tact.
The Battling Bishops would then erupt in the bottom of the fourth, sending 11 batters to the plate and scoring seven runs on eight hits, including four doubles, to push the lead to 10-0 and seal the five-inning win.
The hosts had a 12-2 advantage in the hit column, with four players finishing with multiple hits, led by Ashley Day's 3-for-3 performance. Sibilly earned the five-inning complete game shutout, allowing just two hits.
Miranda Arison thew the first 1/3 of the first inning and took the loss, before giving way to Cabo, who thew the final 4 2/3.
GAME TWO - Ohio Wesleyan 4, Allegheny 3
After a scoreless first inning in game two, the Battling Bishops again got on the board first, this time scoring one run on a pair of singles in the bottom of the second. Gator pitcher
Kala Mahen would then recover to pitch out of the jam, getting a pair of fly-outs to keep the deficit at one.
With one out,
Kaitlyn Campbell reached on a single, and scored two batters later on a Blinkiewicz double to the fence in center field to tie it at 1-all.
The Battling Bishops answered right back in the bottom of the third, using four singles to plate two runs and go in front 3-1.
Allegheny had two runners on base in each of the next two innings, but was unable to come up with a big hit, as all four remained stranded and the deficit remained at two runs.
Ohio Wesleyan added a run in the bottom of the fifth to go up 4-1, before the Gators embarked on the comeback trail facing their final out in the top of the seventh.
After a pair of quick outs, Blinkiewicz and Valerino laced back-to-back singles. Zavolta kept the inning alive by drawing a walk, before Massart singled to bring home Blinkiewicz and Valerino and make it a 4-3 game. The visitors would get no closer, however, as Ohio Wesleyan reliever Kendall Kaiser got a pop out to end the game.
Both teams finished with eight hits in the game, with seven different Gators tallying at least one, led by Blinkiewicz's 2-for-4 showing. Mahen worked the complete game and was saddled with the loss, allowing four runs (three earned) with four strikeouts and just two walks.
Day and Erin Ferguson each had two hits for the Battling Bishops, while Emily VanDermark went four innings in the circle to earn the win, and Kaiser the last three to earn the save.
The Gators are now tentatively scheduled to return to action on Wednesday, April 12, as they will host John Carroll University in a doubleheader that was rescheduled from April 6. First pitch at the Robertson Athletic Complex is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
