CLERMONT, Fla.— The Allegheny College softball team fell in a pair of games on their fourth day of game in Clermont, Fla.
The Gators fell in a tight 4-3 game against Calvin before dropping a 10-2 decision against Elmurst in their second game.
Game One – Calvin 4, Allegheny 3
The Gators got into a bases loaded jam in the top of the first, but
Tori Vradenburg pitched her way out of it by forcing a fly ball to end the inning. The Knights threatened again in the second with a runner in scoring position, but once again, Vradenburg got out the inning unscathed with a strikeout.
The game turned into a pitcher's dual as neither team got on the board until the top of the fifth. After putting a runner on second via error to start the inning, the Knights hit a triple to score the game's first run. That runner then came home on a passed ball to make it 2-0 in favor of Calvin.
Kyleigh Cason was hit by her second pitch of the game to start the bottom of the frame.
Jessica Valerino moved her to second on a sac bunt.
Emily Cramer came through with a single to left field, taking Cason to third.
Joplin Osgood singled through the left side, scoring Cason to cut the lead in half.
Maria DiDonato then hit into a fielder's choice, scoring Cramer to tie the game at two.
Calvin regained the lead in the sixth, as they scored two runs on three hits and an error to take a 4-2 lead.
Kelly Lafferty led off the bottom of the sixth by earning a walk. After moving to third,
Hayley Behr drove her in with a single up the middle to make it 4-3.
The Knights threatened for more in the seventh, but Vradenburg struck out the last to batters to keep it a one run game going into the final frame.
With two outs in the seventh,
Mariah Nablo earned a walk, and moved to second on a passed ball. However, the Knights recorded the third out to preserve the win.
Behr and Osgood had RBI hits in the game while Lafferty and Cason scored the runs.
Vradenburg went the full seven innings, allowing two earned runs while striking six.
Cason tied the Allegheny single game record by getting hit by three pitches in the game.
Game Two – Elmhurst 10, Allegheny 2 (5 innings)
The Gators put two runners in scoring position off a pair of errors to start the game. However, the Blue Jays got out of the inning unscathed.
In the bottom of the first, Elmhurst produced three runs on three hits as they moved ahead, 3-0.
In the third, Lafferty hit a one-out single up the middle.
Janese Matos came in to run for her. She moved to second on a wild pitch, then third on a fielder's choice. During a stealing situation, she came home to cut the lead to 3-1.
In the fourth, the Blue Jays had a hitter reach first on a dropped fly. After stealing second, a pair of singles brought her home to make it 4-1.
Nablo led off the top of the fifth with a double down the right field line. After moving up to third,
Paige Ziggas hit a soft grounder that allowed Nablo to come home and cut the lead to 4-2.
However, Elmhurst had five hits and took advantage of three Allegheny miscues to put six runs on the board in the fifth to end the game.
Nablo had an extra base hit for the Gators while scoring a run. Matos scored the other run. Cason and Lafferty also had hits.
