Gator Softball Suffers Pair of Tough Losses

May 2, 2006

Game 1 Boxscore
Game 2 Boxscore

BEREA, Ohio – The Allegheny College softball team (19-21) lost a pair of games today to the Baldwin-Wallace Yellow Jackets (19-18). The first game was a 4-2 loss for the Gators, with the second defeat coming in nine innings, the final 9-8.

In game one Allegheny surrendered runs in both the second and third innings. Up 2-0, the Yellow Jackets would tack on a pair of much needed insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth, as Allegheny would get its only runs in the top of the seventh.

Abby Bodenlos (Pittsburgh/ Shady Side Academy) came in to pinch hit for the Gators, and drew a leadoff walk to get the inning going. Stephanie Lasinski (Gibsonia/ Pine-Richland) was up next, and singled to put runners on first and second. Bodenlos stole third, her twenty-second steal of the season in as many attempts, setting a new North Coast Athletic Conference record for steals in the process. The next two batters would be retired, but singles by Sarah Piranian (Mars/ North Allegheny) (right) and Crystal Ptacek (Allison Park/ North Allegheny) drove in two Gator runs. A groundout would end the game, however, giving Baldwin-Wallace the win.

The Gators had their best chances in the first and fifth, stranding a total of five runners in the pair of scoreless innings.

The Blue and Gold out-hit the Yellow Jackets 8-4, but hit into two double plays. Overall, Allegheny stranded eight runners to Baldwin-Wallace’s four.

Becca Rich (Gibsonia/ North Allegheny) took the loss for the Gators, allowing four runs, two earned, on just four hits.

In game two, the bats were out for both teams, each squad collecting nine hits. The home team would put up five runs in the bottom of the first on just three hits, and then add two more runs in the second for the 7-0 lead.

A triple by Elizabeth Burr (Farmdale, Ohio/ Badger) and a sacrifice fly by Bodenlos got the score to within three runs at 5-2 in the third, the next two innings going without a run for either team.

In the sixth Allegheny would dent the plate with two more runs to narrow the lead to three. A double by Burr and a homerun by Bodenlos would account for the scores, the board now reading 7-4.

The Baldwin-Wallace lead would finally disappear in the top of the seventh. Lasinski led off with a single, Sarah Reilly (Dunkirk, N.Y.) drew a walk, and Burr would get her second double in as many innings to tie things up. Reilly now on third and Burr on second, Piranian would plate both runners with a double of her own. Bodenlos was up next, and a double steal put runners on second and third. Ptacek would drive in the fourth Gator run of the inning via a fielder’s choice, giving Allegheny the 8-7 advantage.

A leadoff homerun would even the game in the bottom of the seventh, however, sending the ballgame into extra innings.

Neither team could take advantage of the runner on second (international tie-breaker) in the eighth, and Allegheny would again go hitless in the ninth, setting the stage for a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the inning for the home team.

Allegheny starting pitcher Giannina Coccaro (Miami, Fla./ Palmetto) gave up nine runs, six of them earned, on nine hits.

Burr led the Gators with a 3-for-5, three-run, 2-RBI performance in game two. Piranian and Bodenlos had similar lines, each player collecting two hits, a run, and a pair of RBIs.

On the day Piranian went 5-for-9 with three RBIs, a run scored, and three stolen bases.

Coccaro is the team’s only graduating senior, and leaves the program with 47 wins against 31 losses.

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