By: Andrew Korba

HIRAM, Ohio -- The Hiram College softball team captured the second game of a doubleheader against Allegheny (Pa.) for its first NCAC victory of the season on Thursday.

The Gators (6-10, 2-2 NCAC) won Game 1 in eight innings 3-2, but Hiram (6-18, 1-3 NCAC) responded with a 4-2 win in the second contest.

In the first game, Hiram jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning as senior Meghan Garland (Mineral Ridge, Ohio/Mineral Ridge) doubled home senior Jessica Wahl (Akron, Ohio/Ellet).

The Terriers expanded their lead to 2-0 in the third inning, benefitting from two Gator miscues to plate another run.

Allegheny would score single runs in the fourth and fifth innings to tie the game.

Both teams threatened to score in the seventh, but were unsuccessful, sending the contest into extra innings.

The Gators took the lead in the eighth on a go-ahead sac fly. Hiram would put two runners on in the bottom of the frame, but could not score.

Freshman Makenzie Dombrowski (Streetsboro, Ohio/Streetsboro) fired a complete game and struck out six batters.

Senior Danielle Latine (Eastlake, Ohio/North) and junior Dana Perrotta (New Castle, Pa./New Castle) each had two hits for the Terriers.

Hiram struck first in Game 2 as well, getting a RBI single from junior Heather Pahoresky (Mantua, Ohio/Crestwood) to take an early 1-0 lead.

The Gators tied the game in the second and tacked on another run in the fourth to open up a 2-1 lead.

Hiram would respond with three runs in the fifth inning.

With the bases loaded, Pahoresky tied the game with a sac fly to center. Senior Nicole Hoy (Brunswick, Ohio/Brunswick) and junior Brittany Zajac (Corry, Pa./Corry) would each record back-to-back RBI singles to cap the three run rally.

The Gators would put runners on second and third in the sixth, but Garland induced two groundouts to escape the jam.

Garland fired a complete game, striking out one batter for her third win of the season. The victory was also the 28th of her career, which moves her into a tie for second most wins in program history.

Hiram will play next on Saturday, April 16, as they travel to Oberlin for a NCAC doubleheader that will begin at 1 p.m.