Allegheny/Denison Boxscore |
Allegheny/Ohio Wesleyan Boxscore GRANVILLE, Ohio - The Allegheny softball team won back-to-back elimination games on Saturday -- the first over Denison 2-1 and the second against Ohio Wesleyan 10-6 -- to advance to the North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament championship round at Denison. The Gators need to defeat Hiram twice on Sunday to claim the NCAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Pitcher Stacey Robertshaw earned two wins during the day, allowing three runs in 11 innings pitched. Marci Potuzko crunched a pivotal grand slam in the win over OWU.
The Gators scored two runs in the fourth inning of their win over the Big Red. Stephanie Baer led off with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Rachel Ryan. Later in the inning, Potuzko and Katie Wills smacked back-to-back doubles to plate Baer and Potuzko, respectively.
Denison scored its only run in the sixth inning as Brie Berkopec smashed a leadoff homer.
Amanda Tipton led off the Big Red seventh with a single before the Gators came through with a key defensive play.
Hannah Price laid down a sacrifice bunt, which third baseman Maggie Bodenlos fielded and threw to the second baseman, Wills, at first. Trying to catch the Allegheny defense napping, Price tried to stretch her trip from first to third, however, Robertshaw alertly covered the base and recorded the putout on a throw from Wills. One groundout later, the Gators secured a matchup with the Battling Bishops.
Wills batted 3-for-3 against Denison and Baer went 2-for-4. Robertshaw went the distance and allowed seven hits.
OWU took the next game's first lead in the first inning on Kaylie Titus's RBI single. After that, Allegheny took a 2-1 lead in the third and never looked back. The Gators score 10 runs within a four-inning span, plating nine in two-out situations.
Sara Doan led off the Gator fourth with a double. Allison Piper followed with a walk, but was retired on a fielder's choice groundout by Bodenlos. After Bodenlos stole second, Ryan delivered a two-out, two-run single to put Allegheny ahead 2-1.
The Blue and Gold added two more runs in the fourth. Wills started the inning with a walk and advanced to second on Potuzko's sac bunt. Elizabeth Burr singled, moving Wills to third, and then stole second. An error on the steal allowed Wills to score Allegheny's third run. Burr later scored on a two-out single by Piper.
Devon Walker helped Ohio Wesleyan close the deficit to 4-2 in the Bishops' half of the fourth before Allegheny dealt the game's big blow.
Baer and Ryan smacked back-to-back singles to spark the Gator fifth. With two outs, Wills loaded the bases with a single and set the stage for Potuzko, who gave Allegheny an 8-2 advantage with a blast over the fence in left-center field.
Titus drove in a run for the Bishops in the fifth, trimming OWU's deficit to 8-3, but the Gators extended their lead once again with two runs in the next half-inning.
Doan smacked a leadoff single in the Allegheny sixth. She traveled to second on Piper's sacrifice bunt and scored on a double by Baer. Baer then crossed the plate on a single by Ryan, making the score 10-3.
Amanda Sanders had a two-run single for OWU in the sixth inning and Tara VanVranken hit a sacrifice fly, cutting Allegheny's lead to four, but those runs were the final tallies of the contest.
Ryan finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs. Potuzko and Doan were 2-for-3 while Baer went 2-for-4.
In the circle, Robertshaw worked four innings. She allowed six hits and two earned runs while recording one strikeout and one walk. Amanda Downey pitched the final three innings in relief.
The Gators (24-17) will take on Hiram on Sunday at 10 a.m. With a win, they will force a winner-take-all matchup against the same Terrier squad.
Allegheny and Hiram have met three times in 2009. On April 9, the Gators won decisions of 8-7 and 7-6 in Meadville. The Terriers claimed a 4-3 eight-inning win in the NCAC Tournament's opener on Friday.