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* GAME SUMMARIES *

LADY TIGERS START SLOW BUT BEAT BUTLER, 9-0

Box Score

The Lady Tigers did not score until the fourth inning but then turned it on as they shut out Butler, 9-0, at the Senior High field on Tuesday afternoon.  Senior center fielder Nicole Lenart led the way with three hits including a triple and a double.  Junior lefthander Aimee Dassner went the distance allowing only one hit to earn her fourth win against only one loss.

The only Butler hit came in the top of the first inning when third baseman Brenna McPherson hit a single between third and short into left field.  Dassner retired the side without any other damage.  The Lady Tigers threatened in the bottom of the first when Lenart tripled with two outs but was stranded at third.

The Tigers could not score until the bottom of the fourth.  After one out, senior shortstop Amy Phillips singled to left field.  After senior 3B Dori Nunley flew out to deep center field for the second out, junior catcher Sam Goettman singled up the middle moving Phillips to second.  Junior Ali Morse went in to run for Goettman.  After a long discussion over a special ground rule for the game, senior second baseman Steph Hillenbrand slammed a double into left center field to score Phillips and give the Lady Tigers a 1-0 lead.  Senior left fielder Rachel Songer followed with a base hit to left field to score Morse and give NA a 2-0 advantage after four innings of play.

In the bottom of the fifth, junior 1B Lauren Vrabel led off with a double to deep right center field.  After Dassner sacrificed Vrabel to third, Lenart singled up the middle scoring Vrabel to make it 3-0.  With two outs and after Lenart stole second, Nunley doubled to center field to score Lenart as the lead increased to 4-0.  Goettman singled  up the middle to score Lenart as the Lady Tigers took a 5-0 lead after five innings.

Hillenbrand walked on four pitches to lead off the bottom of the sixth.  After Songer singled between short and third, senior PH Lindsay Cassidy dropped down a bunt.  When the ball was dropped at first base, Hillenbrand scored and Songer moved to third.  After Cassidy advanced to second on a passed ball, Dassner singled to center field scoring Songer and Cassidy as the NA lead ballooned to 8-0.  Lenart then narrowly missed a home run as her blast into a strong wind hit the left center field fence allowing Dassner to score as Lenart stopped at second with a double.  NA took a 9-0 lead into the seventh.

Dassner retired the side in order as NA recorded the 9-0 victory.  The NA lefthander struck out eight, walked none, and allowed only two base runners, one on a hit and one on a Tiger error.

The win kept the Lady Tigers undefeated in section play with a record of 6-0 and the overall mark improved to 10-2.  NA will travel to Shaler this afternoon for a crucial game against second place Shaler.  Game time is set for 4:30 pm at Hilltop Field in Shaler.

(Thanks again to Rob Huysman for the information in this report!)

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 9  BUTLER - 0

WP - Aimee Dassner (4-1)     LP - Kelly Reges

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LADY TIGER HOME RUNS TOO MUCH FOR NORTH HILLS, 9--0

Box Score

For the second consecutive game, junior DH and catcher Sam Goettman slammed a first inning bases loaded home run to lead the Lady Tigers over North Hills, 9-0, at Scharmyn Park on Monday afternoon.  Senior catcher Nicole Lenart and senior 2B Steph Hillenbrand also homered for the winning Lady Tigers.  Senior Becca Rich allowed only three hits and struck out eight in earning her sixth victory of the year against only one loss.

The Lady Tigers took control of the game in the top of the first inning.  After junior LF Brittany Bennett reached on an error, she moved to second on a wild pitch.  After a ground out moved Bennett to third, Lenart reached safely when North Hills pitcher Louanne Wiegand held her ground ball to keep Bennett from scoring.  After Lenart stole second, senior shortstop Amy Phillips walked to load the bases.  After Wiegand got the second out on a strikeout, Goettman hit the first pitch over the left center field fence for a grand slam home run to give NA a 4-0 lead after one half inning.

Rich kept the Indians off the board in the bottom of the first, allowing only a walk.  In the bottom of the second, North Hills DH Becca Nachreiner led off with a single.  With one out, senior RF Sarah Piranian made a nice running catch in foul territory down the right field line for the second out.  Rich got the final out on a strikeout as NA held a 4-0 lead after two innings.

In the top of the third, the Lady Tigers struck again.  After Phillips led off with a single up the middle, she moved to second on a wild pitch.  Senior 3B Dori Nunley walked with Phillips advancing to third on another wild pitch.  With a 3-2 count, Goettman lined a single off the pitcher driving in Philllps with the fifth NA run.  Vrabel followed with a single to right field to load the bases.  Senior 2B Rachel Songer lined the first pitch into right field driving in a pair of runs to give NA a 7-0 lead after two and a half innings.

In the top of the fourth, Rich walked a pair of runners but did not give up a run.  A key play came with Lenart throwing out Indian 2B Maura Wahl attempting to steal.  In the bottom half of the inning, Nachreiner came in to pitch for NH.  Lenart greeted her with a long home run over the center field fence on a 2-2 pitch to increase the NA lead to 8-0.  Nachreiner retired the side after allowing a walk, but the Lady Tigers held an 8-0 advantage after three and one half innings.

After Rich got the side in order in the fourth, the Indians threatened in the bottom of the fifth.  With one out, third baseman Missy Kruck was hit by a pitch.  Wiegand followed with a double to right center field moving pinch runner Catherine Sieber to third.  Rich then retired the side on a strike out and a pop up as the Lady Tigers continued to lead, 8-0, after five innings. 

With two outs in the top of the seventh, Hillenbrand hit the first pitch over the left field fence for the third NA home run of the game.  After junior 1B Aimee Dassner was hit by a pitch, Lenart grounded out to end the inning.  In the bottom of the seventh, Rich struck out CF Allison Gumpf for the first out.  After Sieber was hit by a pitch, Wiegand singled up the middle.  Rich then got the final two outs on a ground out and a pop up to preserve the shutout and the 9-0 victory.

The win kept NA undefeated and in first place in Section 3 after the first half of the section season was completed.  The overall NA record improved to 9-2.  The Lady Tigers will be back in action again next Monday when they host Butler in a 4:00 pm section contest.

(Thanks again to Rob Huysman for the information in this report!)

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 9  NORTH HILLS - 0

WP - Becca Rich (6-1)     LP - Louanne Wiegand

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GOETTMAN'S GRAND SLAM LEADS LADY TIGERS OVER PENN HILLS, 12-2

Box Score

Junior catcher Sam Goettman blasted a grand slam home run as the Lady Tigers scored six times in the first inning on their way to a 12-2 victory at Penn Hills on Friday afternoon.  Sophomore 1B Lauren Vrabel and senior second baseman Stephanie Hillenbrand both had a double and a single as NA pounded out 14 hits.  Junior left hander Aimee Dassner went the distance, allowing only six hits and one earned run to pick up the victory.

The Lady Tigers took command of the game in the top of the first inning and never looked back.  Junior Brittany Bennett reached on an error to lead off the game, and Dassner was hit by a pitch.  Senior CF Nicole Lenart followed with a fly ball to center field that was dropped as NA loaded the bases with no outs.  After a pop fly to third, senior 3B Dori Nunley singled to left field, driving in Bennett to give NA a 1-0 lead.  Goettman then hit the second pitch over the left center field fence for a grand slam home run to increase the Tiger lead to 5-0.  After Vrabel reached on an error, Hillenbrand drove a sharp single to left field to score the NA sophomore with the sixth run of the inning as the Lady Tigers took a 6-0 lead after one half inning.

In the bottom of the first, Penn Hills threatened but did not score.  With one out, shortstop Andrea Hasselhoff singled and 3B Amanda Wallace reached on an error.  Dassner retired the next two batters on a ground ball and a strikeout to retire the side.

The Lady Tigers picked up another run in the top of the second inning.  After Lenart singled to center field, she stole second and went to third on a passed  ball.  After a fly ball to short center field, Nunley brought Lenart home with a sacrifice bunt as NA took a 7-0 lead into the bottom of the second.  Dassner retired the next six Penn Hills batters as the Lady Tigers led, 7-0, after three and one half innings.

In the bottom of the fourth, Wallace led off with a double.  A single by catcher Sarah Sevick moved Wallace to third.  First baseman Steph Strauss followed with a single to left to score Wallace with the first Penn Hills run.  Dassner then retired the side on a ground ball and two strikeouts as the Tiger lead was cut to 7-1.

In the top of the fifth inning, the Lady Tigers added three runs.  After Vrabel singled to left field to start the inning, Hillenbrand sacrificed her to second.  Junior Ali Morse laid down a sacrifice bunt, and Vrabel was able to come all the way from second to score the eighth NA run.  Junior Laura Boselovic batted for Bennett and singled to center field.  After Dassner also singled to center, senior Lindsay Cassidy batted for Lenart and singled to right field to load the bases.  Senior shortstop Amy Phillips followed with a single to left to scored Boselovic with Dassner scoring when the ball got away from the left fielder.  After four and a half innings, NA had a commanding 10-1 advantage.

The Indians came back in the bottom of the inning to score.  With one out, center fielder Brandi Sloan singled to right field and went to third when the ball rolled past the right fielder.  With two outs, Sloan scored on another NA error.  After five complete innings, the Lady Tigers held a 10-2 lead.

The Lady Tigers were not finished and added a pair of runs in the top of the sixth.  With one out, Hillenbrand doubled down the left field line.  After Boselovic singled to left, Hillenbrand scored when the throw to the plate was dropped by the catcher..  Boselovic moved to second base on the error.  After senior Becca Rich drew a walk as a pinch hitter, Cassidy singled to left field scoring Boselovic with the twelfth Tiger run.  After five and a half innings, NA led 12-2.

With the ten-run rule in effect, Dassner set the Indians down in order with a ground out and a strike out as the Lady Tigers secured the 12-2 victory.  It was a good non-section win for NA with Coach Rick Meister able to use his entire bench.   The victory improved the overall NA record to 8-2 on the season.  The Lady Tigers will be back in action again on Monday afternoon when they travel to North Hills to meet the Indians in a 4:00 pm section contest.

(Thanks to Rob Huysman for the information in this report!)

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 12  PENN HILLS - 2

WP - Aimee Dassner (3-1)   LP - Kara Bozick

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SIX-RUN FIFTH LIFTS LADY TIGERS OVER SENECA VALLEY, 10-4

To listen to a replay of the game, click here!

After trailing 2-0 early, the Lady Tigers rallied for three runs in the fourth and six more in the fifth to defeat the Seneca Valley Raiders, 10-4, at the Senior High field on Wednesday afternoon.  Senior catcher Nicole Lenart led the way with three hits, including a three-run home run.  Junior 1B Sam Goettman added a double and a single, both in the fifth inning.  

Seneca Valley scored in the top of the first inning to take an early lead.  With one out, sophomore CF Liz Borogy beat out a bunt.  Junior SS Ali Intihar reached on a error.  Junior catcher Tina Mangola followed with a single to center field to score Borogy with the game's first run.  Senior RHP Becca Rich then retired the next two batters to get out of the inning trailing only 1-0.

In the top of the second, the Raiders added another run.  With one out, senior pitcher Megan Wise singled to left center.  After junior 3B Julie Marlowe sacrificed her to second, Borogy hit a looper to left center field for a base hit to drive in Wise to make it 2-0.  The Lady Tigers could not score against Wise in the first two innings and the Raiders took a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the third.

Wise got the first two NA batters in the third on ground outs.  Lenart beat out a slow ground ball to third and senior SS Amy Phillips followed with a line drive off second baseman Jackie Mangola's glove to put runners on first and second.  Senior 3B Dori Nunley reached on an infield single in the hole at short.  With two outs and the bases loaded, Lenart scored on a wild pitch to cut the lead to 2-1.  After Goettman walked, Seneca Valley head coach George Trew brought in sophomore right hander Lauren Pennell who retired senior 2B Rachel Songer to end the inning.

The Tigers broke through in the bottom of the fourth to take the lead.  With one out, senior RF Sarah Piranian beat out a bunt single.  After junior LF Brittany Bennett drew a walk, junior DP Aimee Dassner beat out a bunt to load the bases.  Lenart followed with a line drive to left field scoring two runs to give NA a 3-2 advantage.  A wild pitch scored Dassner as the Lady Tigers took a 4-2 lead into the fourth inning.

Rich kept the Raiders off the board in the third, fourth and fifth innings allowing only two hits while striking out five.  In the bottom of the fifth, NA took control of the contest with a six-run outburst.  Goettman led off with a long double into the left center field alley.  Songer reached on a fielder's choice when the Raiders tried to get pinch runner Ali Morse at third but failed.  Junior CF Lauren Vrabel then singled to center to drive in Morse and make it 5-2.  After Vrabel stole second, Piranian sent a base hit to center field to score Songer and increase the margin to 6-2.  After a wild pitch scored Vrabel, Bennett singled to right field with Piranian moving to third.  After Bennett stole second, Dassner ground to short with neither runner able to advance.  Lenart hit the first pitch over the left field fence scoring three runs and putting NA safely ahead by a 10-2 score.  After Nunley and Goettman singled, freshman Courtney Grootegoed came in to pitch.  After a walk to load the bases, Grootegard got the final out but the Lady Tigers took a 10-2 lead into the sixth inning.

Seneca Valley came back to score a pair of runs in the sixth.  With two outs and a runner at first, Intihar slammed a triple into right center field to cut the lead to 10-3.  Tina Mangola followed with her third hit and second double of the game to score Intihar and make it a 10-4 game.  Rich then struck out Grootegoed to end the inning.  In the top of the seventh, Jackie Mangola singled to lead off.  Rich struck out the next two batters and got Lollo on a fly ball to end the game.  The Lady Tigers picked up a big section win with a 10-4 victory over #5 Seneca Valley.

It was a good win for the Lady Tigers who were playing their third game in three days.  Senior right hander Becca Rich struck out nine to win her fourth game against only one loss.  For her efforts, the North Allegheny Sports Network selected Nicole Lenart as the Player of the Game.

With the win, the Lady Tigers improved their section record to 4-0, 7-2 overall.  NA will travel to Penn Hills tomorrow afternoon for a non-section contest.  Game time is scheduled for 3:45 pm.

Box Score

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 10  SENECA VALLEY - 4

WP - Becca Rich (4-1)     LP - Lauren Pennell

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LADY TIGERS FINISH OFF SHALER, 7-6, IN COMPLETION OF SUSPENDED GAME

After Shaler scored in the top of the 8th inning, the Lady Tigers came back with two runs in the bottom of the inning to defeat the Titans, 7-6, in the resumption of the game suspended on April 1.  The game had been tied at 5-5 after seven innings when darkness prevented further play.  Shaler's Kaitlyn Kline homered with two outs and two strikes to tie the game in the top of the seventh.

In the top of the eighth, Britt Morgan reached on an NA error to lead off.  Jen Poplinski followed with a sacrifice bunt that moved Morgan to second.  Melissa McQuade singled to right center field to score Morgan with the lead run as Shaler took a 6-5 lead.  Julie Stampfle singled to left field before NA senior pitcher Becca Rich got the final two outs.

In the bottom of the inning with one out, senior 3B Dori Nunley hit a 3-1 pitch over the center field fence to tie the game at 6-6.  Junior 1B Sam Goettman followed by reaching on an error.  After senior shortstop Amy Phillips followed with a base hit up the middle, junior left fielder Aimee Dassner walked on four straight balls.  Senior 2B Rachel Songer then came through with a base hit to left field to score the winning run in a 7-6 Lady Tiger victory.

The win stopped a 10-game Shaler winning streak dating from last year's loss to NA in the WPIAL playoffs.  Shaler is the defending PIAA champion.  With the win, the Lady Tigers improved their section record to 3-0 and the overall mark to 6-2.  NA will host Seneca Valley this afternoon at the Senior High field in another section contest.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the game LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 3:45 pm.  Game time is scheduled for 4:00 pm.

(Thanks to Rob Huysman for info in this report!)

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 7  SHALER - 6

WP - Becca Rich (4-1)

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GOETTMAN LEADS LADY TIGERS OVER FOX CHAPEL, 7-1

Box Score

Junior first baseman Sam Goettman's grand slam in the third inning led the Lady Tigers to a 7-1 victory at Fox Chapel on Monday afternoon.  Goettman added a triple and had five RBIs as NA pounded out nine hits in the victory.  Senior right hander Becca Rich and left hander Aimee Dassner shared time on the mound with Rich going four innings and striking out ten to earn the victory.

The Lady Tigers threatened in the top of the first when they drew a pair of walks but could not score.  In the bottom of the first, Rich struck out three of four batters faced to keep Fox Chapel off the board.  NA took the lead in the top of the second.  After senior 3B Dori Nunley led off with a hard single up the middle, Goettman drove the second pitch deep down the left field line for a triple scoring Nunley to give the Lady Tigers a 1-0 lead after an inning and a half.

In the top of the third inning, the Lady Tigers extended the margin.  After Dassner led off with a single up the middle, senior catcher Nicole Lenart walked.  With one out, Nunley walked to load the bases.  Goettman followed with a long drive over the head of FC left fielder Mary Lisowski that cleared the bases with Goettman following them home for a grand slam.  After two and a half innings, NA held a commanding 5-0 advantage.

In the bottom of the fifth, Dassner came into to pitch and got the side in order.  In the top of the sixth, the Lady Tigers added two more runs.  After one out, junior pinch hitter Laura Boselovic doubled down the left field line.  Dassner then hit the first pitch over Lisowski's head for a triple that scored Boselovic to make it a 6-0 game.  Shortstop Amy Phillips followed with a long drive to left center field for a triple that scored Dassner to increase the margin to 7-0.

After the Tigers did not score in the top of the seventh, Fox Chapel picked up a consolation run.  Shortstop Stephanie Cristina led off with a single into right center field.  After a force out at second, pitcher Terri Zivic rounded to third with the Fox Chapel runner moving to second base.  First baseman Melanie Wilhere then singled to left field to score the only Fox Chapel run.  Dassner got a ground out back to the mound to end the contest with the Lady Tigers picking up the 7-1 victory.

The win improved the NA section record to 2-0, the overall mark to 5-2.  NA will host Shaler this afternoon at 4:00 pm to finish the suspended game from Friday, April 1.  The score was tied, 5-5, after seven innings, and the game will resume at that point with Shaler coming to bat in the top of the 8th.  The Lady Tigers will host Seneca Valley tomorrow afternoon at the Senior High field in a section contest.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the game LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 3:45 pm.  Game time is scheduled for 4:00 pm.

(Thanks to Rob Huysman for information in this report!)

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 7  FOX CHAPEL - 1

WP - Becca Rich (3-1)     LP - Terri Zivic

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COACHELLA VALLEY (CA) DOWNS LADY TIGERS, 5-3, FOR KSA TITLE

Coach Rick Meister's Lady Tigers dropped a 5-3 decision to Coachella Valley (CA) in the championship game of the KSA Tournament on Saturday morning at Disney World in Orlando, Florida.

The Lady Tigers took a 2-0 lead into the third, but Coachella scored four runs to take a 4-2 lead into the bottom of the third.  NA cut the margin to 4-3, but that was as close as they could get.  Coachella added an insurance run in the seventh on their way to the 5-3 win.  Senior third baseman Dori Nunley provided most of the punch for the Lady Tigers with a home run and a double.  Senior Steph Hillenbrand also doubled for NA.

The Lady Tigers finished with a 2-1 record in the tournament while their overall mark fell to 4-2.  The Lady Tigers will be back in action on Monday afternoon when they travel to Fox Chapel for a section contest.  Game time is set for 3:30 pm.

GAME SUMMARY
COACHELLA VALLEY - 5  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3

WP - Martinez     LP - Aimee Dassner (2-1)

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NUNLEY'S DOUBLE BEATS FLORIDA TEAM, 1-0

A double in the bottom of the seventh inning by senior 3B Dori Nunley drove in the game's only run to give the Lady Tigers a 1-0 victory over Martin County, Florida, in the semifinals of the KSA Tournament at Disney World in Orlando, Florida.  Junior Aimee Dassner allowed only four hits in earning the shutout and victory.

The Tigers were able to get only two hits in the contest, but Nunley's double was enough to put NA in the championship game this morning.  Tara Esposito had a double for Martin County.  NA will meet the winner of the Coachella (CA)-South Fork (FL) game for the title.  Game time is scheduled for 9:00 am.

The Lady Tigers will return home on Monday when they resume section play at Fox Chapel.  Game time is scheduled for 4:00 pm.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 1  MARTIN COUNTY (FL) - 0

WP - Aimee Dassner (2-0)

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LADY TIGERS RALLY TO BEAT CALIFORNIA TEAM, 11-6

After falling behind 6-2 early, the Lady Tigers came back to defeat Cordova (CA), 11-6, at the KSA Tournament at Disney World in Orlando, Florida, on Thursday afternoon.  Senior catcher Nicole Lenart had three hits, including a home run, good for four RBIs to pace NA to the victory.

After falling behind 6-2 in the second inning, NA rallied for five runs in the fourth and three more in the sixth to pull away for the win.  Junior 1B Sam Goettman had a pair of hits, including a home run, to drive in three runs.  Senior 3B Dori Nunley added three hits for the winning Lady Tigers.  Senior right hander Becca Rich went struck out eight in six innings to pick up the victory.

The win improved the overall NA record to 3-1 in the early season.  The Lady Tigers will face Martin County (FL) this morning in the semifinals.  Game time is scheduled for 9:00 am.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 11  CORDOVA (CA) - 6

WP - Becca Rich (2-1)  LP - Fields

KSA TOURNAMENT - DISNEY WORLD
April 7-9, 2005

SCHEDULE

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LADY TIGERS BLAST BUTLER, 15-0

Box Score

Senior catcher Nicole Lenart pounded out two home runs to lead the Lady Tigers to a 15-0 victory at Butler on Tuesday afternoon.  Sophomore CF Lauren Vrabel, junior 1B Sam Goettman, and senior 3B Dori Nunley all homered as NA recorded 17 hits on their way to the easy victory.  Senior pitcher Becca Rich and junior pitcher Stephanie Smith combined to pitch a no-hitter for NA as they won their first section game.

The Lady Tigers threatened but did not score in the top of the first inning.  With one out, junior Brittany Bennett singled past third base into left field.  With two outs, senior shortstop Amy Phillips singled sharply to left field and went to second when Bennett beat the throw from the outfield to third base.  Nunley ended the inning with a deep drive to left field.

In the bottom of the first, Butler had their only threat of the game.  Leadoff batter Dana Gillis reached on a Tiger error, the only base runner of the game for the Tornado.  After Gillis went to second on a passed ball, Rich struck out Karra White on three pitches.  Gillis then moved to third on a ground out to second baseman Rachel Songer.  With two outs, Rich struck out Megan Singleton to retire the side.

The Lady Tigers took the lead in the top of the second.  Leading off, Goettman hit a 1-1 pitch over the left field fence to give NA a 1-0 lead.  With two outs, senior RF Sarah Piranian reached on an error.  Vrabel followed with a long drive over the left center field fence to give the Lady Tigers a 3-0 advantage after an inning and a half.

In the top of the third, Lenart led off with a single past third into left field.  After Phillips sacrificed Lenart to second, Nunley singled to left scoring Lenart and making it 4-0.  Nunley took second on the throw to the plate, and Goettman followed with a single to center field that scored Nunley with the fifth NA run.  After two and one half innings, the Lady Tigers led, 5-0.

NA exploded in the top of the fifth to effectively end the game.  Lenart hit the first pitch of the inning over the left field fence to increase the lead to 6-0.  After Phillips singled to center field, Nunley hit a 2-2 pitch over the left field fence to increase the NA lead to 8-0.  Goettman followed with a single to left and went to second on an error by the left fielder.  Junior DH Aimee Dassner reached on an error by the first baseman that allowed Goettman to score the ninth Tiger run.  With one out, junior right fielder Ali Morse singled over second base to drive in Dassner.  After Vrabel singled to right field, both runners moved up on a passed ball.  Bennett followed with a single to right field driving in both Morse and Vrabel as the NA lead ballooned to 12-0.  Batting for the second time in the inning, Lenart again hit the first pitch over the center field fence for her second home run of the inning.  The two-run blast put the Lady Tigers ahead, 14-0.  NA was not finished, however, as Phillips singled over short into left field.  Junior Laura Boselovic batted for Nunley and grounded to third.  Butler could not make a play and both runners were safe.  Goettman came through with her fourth hit of the game driving in Phillips with the fifteenth and final NA run.  The inning ended with senior 2B Steph Hillenbrand flying out to deep left field.

Junior Stephanie Smith came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth and got the Tornado out in order.  Rich and Smith combined on the no-hitter with Rich recording eight strikeouts and Smith one.  The top six NA batters combined for 16 of the 17 hits.  Goettman had four hits and three RBIs, Lenart had three hits and 3 RBIs, Nunley had two hits and three RBIs while Vrabel and Bennett had two hits and two RBIs each.

With the victory, the Lady Tigers are 1-0 in section, 2-1 overall, as they get ready for their trip to Disney.  NA will play three games at Disney World before returning home.  The Tigers will resume section play on Monday when they travel to Fox Chapel for a 4:00 pm section contest.

(Thanks to Rob Huysman for the information in this report!)

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 15  BUTLER - 0

WP - Becca Rich (1-1)    LP - Kelly Reges

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LATE SHALER HOME RUN TIES LADY TIGERS, 5-5

To listen to a replay of the game, click here!

A home run with two outs and two strikes in the top of the seventh inning gave Shaler a 5-5 tie with the Lady Tigers at the Senior High field on Friday afternoon.  NA did not score in the bottom of the seventh, and the game was suspended because of darkness.  According to WPIAL rules, the game will be resumed in the top of the 8th inning at a later date with the score tied at 5-5.

After Jen Simile homered for Shaler in the top of the first to give the Titans a 1-0 lead, the Lady Tigers came back to score twice in the bottom of the second to take a 2-1 lead.  Simile homered again in the top of the third to tie the game at 2-2.  NA added two runs in the fifth and another in the sixth to take a 5-2 lead into the seventh inning.  With two on and two out, Kaitlyn Kline hit the ball over the right center field fence to tie the game.

Senior Nicole Lenart had three hits to lead the Lady Tigers with sophomore Lauren Vrabel driving in three NA runs.  Senior right hander Becca Rich had seven strikeouts in seven innings pitched.

The Lady Tigers were scheduled to play Howland, Ohio, this afternoon but heavy rains forced postponement.  NA will resume section play on Monday when they travel to Butler to meet the Tornado.  Game time is scheduled for 4:00 pm.

Box Score

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 5  SHALER - 5
Game suspended after seven innings

Pitchers: Shaler -Angela Mastrean /North Allegheny - Becca Rich

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LADY TIGER RALLY BEATS CONNELLSVILLE, 6-3

To listen to a replay of the game, click here!

The Lady Tigers scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to earn a 6-3 victory over Connellsville at the Senior High field on Thursday afternoon.  Senior 3B Dori Nunley had a double and a single and senior center fielder Nicole Lenart had a pair of singles to pace NA to the come from behind win.  Junior left hander Aimee Dassner went the distance to record the victory.

Connellsville jumped off to a quick 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning before the Lady Tigers could record an out.  After 2B Lindsay O'Connell beat out an infield single, third baseman Liz Bell dropped a bunt down the first base line.  Bell was safe at first and, when the throw went down the right field line, O'Connell came all the way around to score with Bell ending up on third.  Shortstop Rachel Means lined a single to center to score Bell and make it 2-0.  Pitcher Ashley Whipkey followed with a bloop single over third, and a wild pitch sent both runners up a base.  Means scored on catcher Britt Kenney's ground ball to second.  Dassner struck DP Erin Takac for the first  out.  Second baseman Lauren Vrabel made a diving catch behind first base for the second out and fielded a ground ball to retire the side.  The Falcons had a 3-0 lead after one half inning.

In the bottom of the first, Vrabel singled to right field and advanced to third but did not score.  The Falcons threatened in the top of the second.  With one out, O'Donnell reached on an error and was sacrificed to second.  Means followed with her second hit, but a strong throw by Lenart from center field nailed O'Donnell at the plate to stop the rally.  In the bottom of the second, Nunley doubled to deep left field, but Whipkey got the next three batters.  

The Lady Tigers broke through in the bottom of the third to cut the lead to one.  After right fielder Sarah Piranian reached on an error, Vrabel's ground out moved her to second.  With two outs, Lenart singled to left field scoring Piranian.  Shortstop Amy Phillips was safe at first on a throwing error that allowed Lenart to score.  After three innings, Connellsville still led, 3-2.

Dassner keep the Falcons under control after the first inning, allowing just one hit and one walk over the next five innings.  Trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the sixth, the Lady Tigers rallied to take the lead.  Nunley led off with a line drive single to left.  Catcher Sam Goettman followed with a long double into the left center field alley.  Left fielder Rachel Songer was safe when the Falcons tried to pick Nunley off third on a ground ball to second.  With the bases loaded, senior pinch hitter Steph Hillenbrand sent a hard ground ball to second, but the throw to the plate was low and wide.  Two NA runners scored on the error as the Lady Tigers took a 4-3 lead.  After two were out, Dassner lined a single to right field to score a pair of insurance runs.  Lenart then singled to center field, but Whipkey finally got the third out to end the inning.  After six innings, the Lady Tigers had taken a 6-3 lead.

After one out in the top of the seventh, O'Donnell lined her third hit into the right center field gap.  Quick fielding by Piranian got the ball back into Vrabel who threw a strike to Nunley at third to get O'Donnell for the second out.  Bell popped out to Phillips to end the game as NA picked up their first victory with the 6-3 win.

It was a good comeback by the Lady Tigers against one of the top teams in the WPIAL.  NA banged out eight hits, including a pair of doubles, against Whipkey, who was 7-0 last year.  For her efforts at the plate and in the field, the North Allegheny Sports Network selected Dori Nunley as the Player of the Game.

The Lady Tigers will host Shaler this afternoon at the Senior High field in the section opener.  Shaler went on to win the PIAA Championship last spring.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the game LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 3:45 pm.  Game time is scheduled for 4:00 pm.

Box Score

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 6  CONNELLSVILLE - 3

WP - Aimee Dassner (1-0)  LP - Ashley Whipkey (1-1)

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AMBRIDGE DROPS LADY TIGERS, 4-1, IN SEASON OPENER

Box Score

After taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, the Lady Tigers gave up three in the bottom half of the inning and fell to Ambridge, 4-1, at Ambridge on Wednesday afternoon.  Senior 3B Dori Nunley drove in the NA run.  

NA started quickly in the top of the first inning.  After senior catcher Nicole Lenart reached on an error, senior shortstop Amy Phillips singled to right center field with Lenart going to second.  With the count full, Nunley singled to center scoring Lenart to give the Lady Tigers a 1-0 lead.  In the bottom of the first, Ambridge shortstop Kara Hochevar homered with two on to put the Bridgers on top, 3-1, after one inning of play.

The Lady Tigers had six hits on the game but could not put their base hits together to score.  The best chance came in the 4th inning when junior 1B Sam Goettman singled to left with one out.  Goettman moved to second on senior pitcher Becca Rich's swinging bunt ground out.  With two outs, senior 2B Rachel Songer popped up to end the inning.  In the 7th inning, senior Stephanie Hillenbrand singled off the right center field fence with one out.  Again, the Lady Tigers could not score as the next two batters made outs.  

Ambridge added an unearned run in the 5th inning.  After two runners reached base on errors, Hochevar came through again with a single to give the Bridgers a 4-1 lead.  Amy Joy went the distance for Ambridge to pick up the victory.

Rich settled down after the first inning and allowed only the unearned run in the fifth.  Rich struck out six and walked none.  With the loss, the NA record started at 0-1 in non-section play.

The Tigers will host Connellsville this afternoon at the Senior High field.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the game LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 3:15 pm.  Game time is scheduled for 3:30 pm.

(Thanks to Rob Huysman for information in this report!)

GAME SUMMARY
AMBRIDGE - 4  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 1

Any questions or comments should be directed to Athletic Director Bob Bozzuto at:  bbozzuto@northallegheny.org