Allegheny Bats Silenced at Denison

Apr 21, 2007

Game 1 Box | Game 2 Box

GRANVILLE, Ohio – In a battle of North Coast Athletic Conference leaders, Denison University pulled off a sweep of the Allegheny College softball team, holding the hot Gator bats quiet en route to 5-0 and 4-0 wins on Saturday. Denison (21-11, 7-1 NCAC) takes over the top spot in the conference standings, while Allegheny slips into third-place behind Wittenberg University.

Allegheny (12-14, 7-3 NCAC) came into the game hitting for a blistering average of .420 against NCAC pitching this spring, racking up nine home runs, 67 runs, and a .629 slugging percentage in its first eight league contests. That all went for naught against the top pitching staff in the NCAC as the Big Red hurlers allowed only seven hits in the doubleheader.

In the opener, the Gators managed hits in each of the first two innings, including a double by Katie Wills (McKees Rocks, Pa./Montour) in the second, however, a double play erased the former base runner and a strikeout looking stranded Wills.

The Allegheny defense committed three errors in the first three innings, but Denison couldn’t capitalize, stranding six runners. The luck wore off for the visitors in the fourth inning when the hosts pounded out five hits, all singles, to plate the first four runs of the game.

After setting down 10 straight, Big Red starter Rachel Thomas ran into a little trouble in the sixth inning as an error, a walk, and a single by Crystal Ptacek (Allison Park, Pa./North Allegheny) loaded the bases with one out, with Allegheny’s RBI leaders waiting in the wings. The Gators couldn’t cash in, however, as Rebecca Burns (Rogersville, Pa./West Greene) struck out and Rachel Ryan (West Salem, Ohio/Northwestern) flied out to right field.

Denison added an insurance run in the sixth to seal the win.

Thomas pitched all seven innings, giving up four hits, walking one, and striking out nine. Alicia Morley (Sinclairville, N.Y./Cassadaga Valley) took the loss, allowing five runs (four earned) on nine hits and two walks, while striking out three.

The nightcap didn’t prove to be much better for the Gators as they didn’t manage to get a runner past second base until the seventh inning. Denison starter Jen Anthony allowed only three hits in the game, and none until a fifth-inning single by Wills. Allegheny notched two of its hits in the sixth, but another strikeout left a pair of base runners stranded.

Anthony allowed only six batters to reach base with two reaching by error, one by walk, and three by singles. She struck out four in improving her season record to 5-4. Allison Korotkin (Birmingham, Mich./Detroit Country Day) took the loss for the Gators, giving up four runs (three earned) on five hits with one walk and three strikeouts.

Wills led Allegheny with three hits on the day, while Ptacek managed a pair of singles.

Allegheny returns to action on Sunday, April 22, against Ohio Wesleyan University at 1 p.m.

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