CLERMONT, Fla. – The Allegheny College softball team opened up their season with a pair of games in Clermont, Fla. Sunday (March 17).
The Gators fell to SUNY New Paltz 13-6 in their opener before bouncing back for a 5-3 win over Anderson in their second contest of the day.
Game One – SUNY New Paltz 13, Allegheny 6
After a scoreless first inning, the Hawks got on the board. A throwing error resulted in two bases for Shannon Fee. After moving up on a groundout, Fee scored on a wild pitch.
Kyleigh Cason got the first hit of the season for the Gators on an infield single, but the Gators were unable to take advantage.
The Hawks loaded the bases with a hit and two walks in the third.
Kala Mahen struck out a batter swinging to get to two outs. However, Fee singled to right field, scoring two runs. On the next at bat, Kelsey Trudden doubled to right center, scoring two more to make it 5-0. A Meagan Blair single then scored Trudden from second to make it 6-0.
In the bottom of the fourth,
Jessica Valerino earned a tough walk with two outs. Cason followed up with her second single of the day, moving pinch runner
Delaney Harrison-Peters to second.
Hayley Behr followed up with a single down the fight field line, scoring Harrison-Peters to put the Gators on the scoreboard.
Jessica Gordon then found the gap in left field, scoring Cason for the second run of the inning.
The Hawks loaded up the bases again in the top of the sixth. A groundout scored one before the Hawks then took advantage of a fielding error, scoring two more to make it 9-2.
Kelly Lafferty led off the bottom of the inning by reaching via throwing error. Cason collected her third hit of the game, moving Lafferty up. Behr then hit a single to right center, bringing Lafferty around from second, making it 9-3.
Emily Cramer followed up with a single up the middle, scoring Cason and Behr to cut the lead the 9-5.
New Paltz scored four in the top of the seventh to take a 13-5 lead into the final frame.
With one out, Lafferty doubled down the left field line. After Valerino moved her to third on a groundout, Cason came through with her fourth hit of the afternoon, this time a ground rule double, scoring Lafferty to cut the lead to 13-6. However, the Hawks did not allow another run as they wrapped up the win 13-6.
Cason led the offense, going four-for-four with a pair of runs and a RBI. Behr had two hits with two RBI and a run, while Lafferty scored twice.
Game Two – Allegheny 5, Anderson 3
Anderson struck first as DJ Martz hit a solo shot to left center in the bottom of the second. The Ravens then added to their lead in the bottom of the third when a throwing error resulted in a run.
With one out in the fourth, Cason reached safely for her sixth straight at-bat, singling to shallow center. In her first collegiate at-bat,
Paige Ziggas singled down the right field line, moving Cason to third. After a tough at-bat, Harrison-Peters brought Cason home on a groundout, cutting the deficit to 2-1.
The Gators broke through in the fifth.
Maria DiDonato was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. Lafferty then hit a double off the center field wall, moving DiDonato to third.
Jessica Gordon earned a walk to load the bases. Valerino came through with a single to right field, scoring both DiDonato and Lafferty as the Gators took a 3-2 lead.
Cason followed up by hitting into a fielder's choice, which scored Gordon. With two outs and Cason on first, Ziggas tripled to right field, bringing Cason all the way around to make it 5-2.
In the bottom of the fifth, Anderson cut the Allegheny advantage to two on a RBI double.
The Ravens threatened again in the bottom of the sixth. After a lead-off walk, Martz doubled to put two runners in scoring position with no outs. However,
Tori Vradenburg stayed cool as a cucumber as she struck out two straight, then forced a foul out to get out of the inning unscathed.
In the bottom of the seventh, Vradenburg secured the win as she struck out the lead-off batter before ending the game on a pair of flyouts.
Vradenburg went the full seven innings, allowing two earned runs on six hits and three walks. She struck out three.
Cason went two-for-three with two runs and a RBI. With the fielder's choice in the fifth, she reached base safely in all eight at-bats on the day. Ziggas also had a pair of his in her debut with a RBI. Valerino had a pair of hits, while Harrison-Peters also had one.
The Gators are back in action Monday (March 18) as they face Western New England and Hamilton.
