GAMBIER, Ohio – Allegheny College (18-11, 10-4 NCAC) earned its first road sweep against Kenyon College since 2012 on Thursday as it won 7-3 and 7-1 in a North Coast Athletic Conference softball twin bill. On the other end, the Ladies fell to 19-19 and 3-11 in conference action.
 
GAME ONE
 
The Gators broke open a 3-3 tie ball game in the fourth en route to a 7-3 victory.
 
Before that, each team traded blows with Allegheny striking first. In the second frame, Samantha Valera singled to right field which scored Jessica Zavolta who had led off the inning with a walk. A couple batters later, Maria DiDonato drew a bases-loaded walk and that was followed by an RBI single from Kelly Lafferty.
 
Down 3-0, the Ladies got a run back in the home half of the inning as Nicole Horita hit a two-out single up the middle plating Kathryn Riggs. Then in the third, Kenyon tied it up. A groundout from Lauren Graf moved two runners into scoring position. Riggs followed with a hard-hit single to deep right field pushing across Emily Buckwalter and Grace Finn.
 
Allegheny pitcher Kala Mahen then settled down the rest of the way, allowing just two hits to Kenyon.
 
In the top of the fourth, the Gators moved ahead for good. Lafferty connected with an RBI single and in the same sequence, an error allowed another to score. Allegheny's third run of the frame came on a run-scoring double from Zavolta.
 
From the fourth through the seventh, the Ladies managed only one base runner in scoring position.
 
GAME TWO
 
Allegheny scored eight combined runs in the first four innings and never allowed Kenyon to gain much traction in an 8-1 victory. It was the Gators' eighth straight win and helped them clinch a berth into the four-team NCAC Tournament.  
 
Zavolta, who drove in a team-high three runs in the doubleheader, gave the Gators the lead, 1-0, with an RBI single in the first. Kenyon, though, was able to tie it up in the home half of the frame. Buckwalter roped a double to right field which brought home Finn.
 
The Gators came back in the second with four more runs. Four of the first five batters reached base and after Jessica Gordon drew a bases-loaded walk, Hayley Behr hit a two-run double to push the visitors ahead 4-1. Zavolta followed with a sacrifice fly plating another run.
 
Down 5-1, the Ladies never really got into gear after that. From the bottom of the second to the end, Kenyon saw just four players reach scoring position. The Ladies' best chance at their second run came in the sixth. A single to center field from Grace Pilz was picked up by Zavolta who then gunned down Graf at home.
 
Kenyon managed five hits in the game, two of which came from Graf, while Allegheny connected with 13. Zavolta went 3-for-3 with two RBI to lead the Gators. In the circle, Victoria Vradenburg earned her seventh win of the year as she induced 14 fly-outs.
 
The Ladies will close out their season on Saturday as they travel to DePauw University for another NCAC doubleheader.