Gators Split in Florida Opening Day

Mar 16, 2008

MCLA BOX SCORE | BRIDGEWATER STATE BOX SCORE

KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The Allegheny College Gators (1-4) split their opening games of the 2008 Rebel Spring Games in Kissimmee, Florida. The Gators scored the most runs in a game since 1985 with a 26-2 victory over the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (0-2) before falling 4-2 in the nightcap against Bridgewater State (1-1).

Only 1985’s 29-0 victory over Geneva saw Allegheny score more runs in a game. Allegheny scored in all five innings, and saw all 12 Gators that came to the plate record at least one hit in the game. Maggie Bodenlos’s (Pittsburgh, Pa./Shady Side Academy) five runs scored set a new school record with Katie Wills (McKees Rocks, Pa./Montour), Rebecca Burns (Rogersville, Pa./West Greene) and Amanda Downey (Essex Junction, Vt./Essex) each scoring four runs, equaling the previous record. Marci Potuzko (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield Area) tied another record by recording six plate appearances.

Allegheny erupted with nine runs in the opening inning, all coming with two outs, as the first two Gator batters popped up and grounded out, respectively. Potuzko opened the scoring with an RBI double, driving in Rachel Ryan (West Salem, Ohio/Northwestern), who walked and stole second base. A wild pitch, a walk to Wills and another wild pitch scored Potuzko. Maggie Bodenlos walked and Burns was hit by a pitch to load the bases, before Wills crossed the plate via the third wild pitch of the inning, scoring what eventually amounts to the game-winning run.

Downey walked to re-load the bases, before Sarah Reilly (Dunkirk, N.Y./Dunkirk) singled driving in Maggie Bodenlos. Abby Bodenlos (Pittsburgh, Pa./Shady Side Academy), the elder of the two Bodenlos sisters, followed with a walk in her second at-bat of the inning, driving in Burns. Liz Burr (Farmdale, Ohio/Badger) followed with a bases-clearing double, before being driven in herself when Ryan singled, scoring the ninth and final run of the inning.

After a 1-2-3 bottom of the first inning in which Downey struck out all three batters, Allegheny added three more tallies in the top of the second frame. The first two runs came when Downey hit a two-run triple, scoring Burns and Maggie Bodenlos, before scoring on a wild pitch. Six more runs in the third inning, coupled with four more in the fourth gave the Gators a 22-0 lead through four frames.

MCLA scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning; the first run coming on a double steal and the second on a sacrifice fly. Four more Allegheny runs in the top of the fifth gave the game its 26-2 final score.

Ryan was 3-for-5 at the plate, driving in five runs, while six players; Sara Doan (Auburn, N.Y./Auburn), Wills and Kristin Paul (Greensburg, Pa./Greater Latrobe) who each went 2-for-2 and Abby Bodenlos, Burr, and Reilly who each went 2-for-3; had multiple hits in the win. Burr drove in a trio of runs, with Abby Bodenlos and Reilly scoring twice. Downey was the pitcher of record for the Gators, striking out seven in five innings of work and allowing a solitary earned run.

The nightcap started out as a pitcher’s duel, with Allegheny’s Allison Korotkin (Birmingham, Mich./Detroit Country Day) and Bridgewater State’s Alyssa Verronneau going pitch-for-pitch, inning-for-inning. The game was scoreless until Korotkin helped her own cause by doubling, scoring Burns. The Gators added another run in the bottom of the fifth inning as a Ryan double was followed by a Wills single, taking the Allegheny advantage to 2-0.

Bridgewater erupted in the sixth inning with a trio of runs, the first two on RBI singles and the final on a sacrifice fly. Allegheny was unable to answer the Bridgewater run, as the Bears added another run in the top of the seventh inning, giving Bridgewater their final run. The Gators were unable to rally in the bottom of the inning sending the hosts on the scoreboard to the 4-2 loss.

Allegheny totaled seven hits in the loss, with three players, Ryan (2-for-3), Korotkin (2-for-3) and Potuzko (2-for-4) picking up multiple hits in the contest. Korotkin fell to 0-2 on the season, pitching the entire seven innings, striking out five and allowing just three earned runs.

The Gators take to the field again tomorrow, when they face off against McDaniel and SUNY-Geneseo at 1:00 and 5:00 p.m., respectively.

Printable Version