DELAWARE, Ohio – The Allegheny softball team opened North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) play on the road at Ohio Wesleyan Sunday (April 3).
 
The Gators did not allow a run across the plate in the twinbill, winning game one 4-0 and game two 8-0. The shutouts were the first for the Gators in a conference double header since they defeated Kenyon 1-0, 1-0 in April of 2017.
 
Game One – Allegheny 4, Ohio Wesleyan 0
 
The Gators got on the board in the fourth. Paige Ziggas (Beaver, Pa./Beaver Area) hit her second infield single of the game with one out. After stealing second and advancing to third on a passed ball, Hadley Horensky (Jefferson Hills, Pa./Seton LaSalle Catholic) doubled to right center to bring Ziggas home. Joplin Osgood (Coudersport, Pa./Coudersport) increased the lead to 2-0 with the Gators' second double of the inning, driving in Horensky.
 
Allegheny added a pair of insurance runs in the seventh. With the bases loaded after an error and back-to-back singles by Aleya Belardinelli (Melbourne, Fla./West Shore) and Ziggas, Horensky singled to right center, driving in a pinch-running Maley Gleason (Houston, Texas/Westside) and Belardinelli.
 
Belardinelli earned the win for the Gators, allowing just four hits and no walks while striking out four in the shutout.
 
Horsenky finished the game with two hits and a career-high three RBI. Ziggas had three singles while Osgood had a double. Belardinelli and Cameron Long (Midlothian, Va./Midlothian) also had hits.
 
Game Two – Allegheny 8, Ohio Wesleyan 0
 
The Gators got on the board first in the top of the second. Sofia Genareo (Lakewood, N.Y./Southwestern Central) doubled to right center and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Olivia Devries (Kent, Ohio/Field) brought Genareo home with an RBI single through the left side.
 
Allegheny added another run in the fourth. With Osgood on second following an infield single, starting pitcher Samantha Dzierba (Colden, N.Y./Orchard Park) had a hard hit towards the shortstop that resulted in an error and brought Osgood home, making it 2-0.
 
In the fifth, the Gators tacked on four more runs. Belardinelli and Ziggas hit back-to-back singles. Horensky kept the momentum going with a two-RBI single to increase the lead to 4-0. Long then blasted her second home run of the season to center field to add another pair of runs in the inning.
 
The seventh inning saw two more runs for the Gators. Genareo drove in Long, while Osgood scored on an error.
 
Dzierba earned the shutout win for the Gators, allowing just five hits.
 
Long led the Gators with two RBI on two hits, including the home run. Horensky also drove in a pair of runs. Belardnelli, Osgood and Genareo had multi-hit games while Ziggas and Devries each had a hit.
 
The Gators return home Tuesday (April 5) for a nonconference doubleheader against Geneva starting at 3:30 pm.