GREENVILLE, Pa. – The Allegheny softball team swept Thiel in a Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) doubleheader on the road Monday (April 3), winning game one 1-0 and game two 9-6.
 
Game One – Allegheny 1, Thiel 0
 
The game remained scoreless until the fourth when Cameron Long (Midlothian, Va./Midlothian) led off the inning with a home run to left field. The homer was Long's fourth of the year. 
 
After Thiel got their first hit in the game with two outs in the fifth, they threatened with runners on the corners. However, Aleya Belardinelli (Melbourne, Fla./West Shore) got the Gators out of the jam with a strikeout.
 
The Gators presented their own threat in the seventh after Olivia Devries (Kent, Ohio/Field) led off with a double, but they were unable to bring her around as they entered the bottom of the seventh with a 1-0 lead.
 
After a pair of singles to start the seventh, the Thiel base runners moved up on a sacrifice bunt. A fielder's choice then loaded the bases with just one out, but, Belardinelli was honed in, striking out the final two batters swinging to seal the 1-0 victory.
 
Inside the Box

• Belardinelli allowed just three hits in her complete game shutout while striking out 10 for the second straight game.
• Long's fourth home run of the season, a solo shot, proved to be the only run of the game.
• Sophia Godzak (Belle Vernon, Pa./Belle Vernon) had a pair of singles.
• Devries doubled while Belardinelli and Isabelle Wakefield (Sicklerville, N.J./Timber Creek) singled. 

Game Two – Allegheny 9, Thiel 6
 
The Gators got out of the gate fast in game two. After Belardinelli was walked to start, she stole second and moved to third on an error. Godzak hit an infield single with Audrey Blarr (Clarence, N.Y./Clarence) coming in to pinch run for her. Both runners scored on a two-RBI double by Sofia Genareo (Lakewood, N.Y./Southwestern Central) for the first runs of the game. Samantha Phillips (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mount Lebanon) followed up with a single that scored Genareo. Samantha Dzierba (Colden, N.Y./Orchard Park) would bring Phillips home as the Gators took a 4-0 lead.
 
Thiel got on the board in the second, scoring one run on a pair of hits.
 
The Gators made up the run in the third when a RBI by Dzierba scored Hadley Horensky (Jefferson Hills, Pa./Seton LaSalle Catholic). They added two more runs in the fifth. A Halle Book (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Catholic) single scored Horensky before Belardinelli drove in a pinch running Maley Gleason (Houston, Texas/Westside) to make it 7-1.
 
Thiel plated a run apiece in the fifth and sixth to cut the lead to 7-3. 
 
Allegheny increased their lead in the top of the seventh. Book singled through the left side of the infield then stole second. Long would bring Book home to make it 8-3. A Godzak double scored Long as the Gators entered the bottom of the seventh leading 9-3.
 
The Tomcats would put up six three runs in the bottom of the seventh but it was not enough to overcome the Gator lead.
 
Inside the Box

• Once again, Godzak registered a multi-hit game, going three-of-four from the plate with a double and a RBI.
• Genareo hit a two RBI double.
• Dzierba had two hits at the plate with two runs driven in. Additionally, she picked up the win in the circle, allowing just two earned runs while striking out three.
• Book, Horensky and Phillips also had multi-hit performances.
• Belardinelli and Devries also tallied a hit. 

News and Notes

• The Gators moved to 14-6 overall and 6-2 in PAC action this season.
• Allegheny is now 23-6 all-time against Thiel.
• Belardinelli moved to 8-1 on the year, and threw her third complete game shutout of the season.
• Dzierba's record increased to 5-4.
• Long hit her fourth home run of the season.
• The 14 hits in game two was the most in a game this season. 

Up Next
The Gators travel to Chatham Friday (April 7) for a PAC doubleheader