Gators Drop Pair in Florida

Mar 19, 2007

Illinois Wesleyan Box | Buena Vista Box

KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The Allegheny College Gators fell to 2-8 on the season, falling to two strong squads at the Rebel Spring Games in Kissimmee, Florida. The squad fell 6-0 to 25th ranked (National Fastpitch Coaches Association) Illinois Wesleyan, before falling 7-6 to Buena Vista in the afternoon finale at the Osceola County Sports Complex.

The squad, playing without two-time captain and 2006 All-Region performer Abby Bodenlos (Pittsburgh, Pa./Shady Side Academy), a junior, who was out with an illness, fell victim to a strong pitching performance against the Titans of Illinois Wesleyan.

Against Illinois Wesleyan, the Gators put a runner on third in each of the first two innings, but could not bring the run around before the Titans scored three runs in the bottom of the second inning, the first on a solo home run to right field and the last two on a two-run double to left field. Another run in the bottom of the third inning when the runner on third scored as the runner on first was caught in a pickle gave the Titans a 4-0 lead through three innings. Two more runs in the fifth inning on a single and a double pushed the Titan lead to 6-0.

The Gators snapped the no-hit bid with one out in the seventh inning when Rachel Ryan (West Salem, Ohio/Northwestern) hit a single just out of the reach of the third baseman, and advanced to third on a subsequent groundout. The shutout bid also was snapped when Allison Burr (Farmdale, Ohio/Badger) drove in Ryan with a single to center field, giving the game its 6-1 final score.

Alicia Morley (Sinclairville, N.Y./Cassadaga Valley) picked up the loss for the Gators, pitching the entire six innings, striking out three and walking just one.

In the afternoon finale, the Gators opened the scoring early, as Elizabeth Burr (Farmdale, Ohio/Badger) singled down the left field line, and then advanced to third on an error by the left fielder. Elizabeth, the elder of the two Burr’s, was driven in by her younger sister Allison on a sacrifice bunt, giving the Blue and Gold a 1-0 lead. The lead doubled in the second inning when Emmalynn Sigrist (Amherst, N.Y./Williamsville North) scored on an error by the first baseman after the junior reached via a single.

After giving up a run to Buena Vista, cutting the deficit to 2-1, the Gators rattled off three runs in their half of the fifth inning, starting with Ryan’s first of two triples in the game, and was driven in by a Katie Wills (McKees Rocks, Pa./Montour) single. The squad then added another two runs when Sigrist singled with the bases loaded, scoring Rebecca Burns (Rogersville, Pa./West Greene) and Wills, giving the Blue and Gold a 5-1 lead.

Four runs by the Beavers in the top of the sixth inning knotted the game at five apiece, before another two runs in the top of the seventh gave the visitors on the scoreboard a 7-5 advantage. Trailing by a pair heading into their final at-bat, the Gators fought back with a comeback, starting with a leadoff triple by Ryan, her second of the game, as the reigning North Coast Athletic Conference Newcomer of the Year was then driven in by Burns, cutting the deficit in half, but that would be as close as they would come, with Buena Vista squeaking out a 7-6 victory.

Sigrist was a perfect 3-for-3 from the plate while Ryan had three hits in four at-bats. Ryan scored twice, with Sigrist driving in two for a team-high. Morley pitched all seven innings of the second game, in addition to her six in the opener, striking out nine and walking one.

The Gators come back tomorrow, March 20, where they will face off against Endicott starting at 9:00 a.m. and then against Carleton at 1:00 p.m.

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