PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The Allegheny softball team opened up Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) play on the road at Chatham Friday evening (March 21), sweeping the twinbill under the lights.
The Gators won game one 10-0 in six innings and game two 7-0. The Gator pitching staff allowed just two hits in each contest.
Game One - Allegheny 10, Chatham 0 (6 innings)
The Gators wasted no time getting on the scoreboard as they opened the game with three runs on four straight hits.
Samantha Phillips (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mount Lebanon) started the game with a single to left field.
Aleya Belardinelli (Melbourne, Fla./West Shore) followed up with a bunt single to put two runners on.
Olivia Devries (Kent, Ohio/Field) cleared the bases with a triple, driving in the first two runs.
Sofia Genareo (Lakewood, N.Y./Southwestern Central) then registered the fourth straight hit as a single through the left side brought Devries home.
The Gators added two more runs in the third. Devries had her second extra base hit of the game, a double, and eventually came around on an
Audrey Blarr (Clarence, N.Y./Clarence) RBI single.
Avery Magee (Chandler, Ariz./Hamilton) then tripled, scoring Blarr to make it 5-0.
The fifth saw two more runs come across the plate for Allegheny.
Alaina Sharp (Lewistown, Pa./Mifflin County) got the inning started with a single. Blarr reached first via error on a sacrifice bunt attempt. A Magee groundout allowed Sharp to score while Blarr came home on a wild pitch.
The lead grew to 10-0 in the sixth. Phillips drew a walk and eventually scored on a Genareo RBI single.
Catherine Burkett (Harborcreek, Pa./Harbor Creek) pinch ran for Genareo. Sharp and Blarr hit back-to-back singles, with Blarr's scoring Burkett. Sharp took advantage of an error on a double steal attempt, making it 10-0.
After Belardinelli kept the Cougars at-bay for the first five innings,
Madison Hulse (San Diego, Calif./Rancho Bernardo) entered in relief, finishing the shutout for the game one win.
Inside the Box
- Belardinelli earned the win for the Gators. In five innings of work, she struck out nine while allowing just two hits and a walk. At the plate, she had a single.
- Blarr went three-for-three with a pair of RBI.
- Devries tripled and doubled while driving in two.
- Genareo also drove in two on a pair of hits.
- Magee had a RBI triple and drove in an additional run.
- Phillips and Sharp had multi-hit games.
Game Two - Allegheny 7, Chatham 0
Once again, the Gators struck in the top of the first. Devries and Genareo singled with two outs before Sharp drove Devries home for the game's first run.
The Gators added to the lead in the third. Walks to Phillips and Devries and a single by Belardinelli loaded the bases. Genareo plates Phillips on a sacrifice fly, making it 2-0. Belardinelli scored on a wild pitch before Sharp drove in a pinch running
Abby Tomkowski (Midland, Pa./Lincoln Park Performing Arts) on a sacrifice fly as the lead grew to 4-0.
The Cougars threatened in the bottom of the inning with runners on second and third, but the Gators got out of the jam unscathed.
Allegheny added three insurance runs in the seventh. An infield single by Phillips and a walk drawn by Belardinelli put two runners on. Sharp cleared the bases with a RBI double to left field. After a single by Blarr, Sharp scored on an error to make it 7-0.
Samantha Dzierba (Colden, N.Y./Orchard Park) pitched well throughout the contest, ending the game on a strikeout looking to seal the sweep.
Inside the Box
- Dzierba allowed just two hits in the game while striking out nine batters.
- Sharp went three-for-three with a double and four runs driven in.
- Genareo had a single and drove in a run on a sacrifice fly.
- Phillips, Belardinelli, Devries, Blarr, Magee and Rachel Seneca (Harrisburg, Pa./Bishop McDevitt) all tallied a hit.
News and Notes
- The Gators are now 6-0 all-time against the Cougars.
- In game two, Dzierba struck out the 200th batter of her career.
Up Next
The Gators continue PAC road play at Waynesburg Wednesday (March 26).
