2014-2015 Game Summaries
Lady Tigers Sweep Hampton
After 2 innings, the Lady Tigers found themselves down 4-0. In the top of the third inning, leadoff batter Jess Blendinger roped a single to left field and was the beginning of a big inning with the Tigers scoring 4 runs to tie the game. Sammy McCoy, Lauren Randolph and a two-run RBI single by Emily Barbus contributed to the big inning. Inning four brought more of the NA bats alive and the Tigers scored five more runs to take a 9-4 lead going into the bottom of the fourth. A leadoff triple by senior Laura Puntil set the tone. And hits by Carly Martin, Blendinger, McCoy, Randoplh, Bri Wagner and Jordyn Lilienthal rounded out the five-run fourth inning. After a quiet fifth and sixth inning by the Tiger bats, they found themselves up 10-5. In the bottom of the sixth, the Hampton Talbots came alive and scored four runs to make the score 10-9 going into the seventh and final inning. The Lady Tigers answered the bell. Again, Puntil led of the inning with a base hit, and doubles by both McCoy and Carly Kovalchik opened up the seventh to find the Tigers scoring five runs. The Talbots went quietly in the bottom of the inning and NA won by a final score of 15-9.
In game two, the Tigers came out strong and continued their hitting ways in the fashion they ended game one. NA scored 10 runs in the first two innings in a route of the Talbots in this game two to a final score of 18-8. Everyone on the Lady Tigers team contributed to the win and highlighted by Randolph going 3 for 4 with four runs scored and four RBI’s. Seniors Blendinger, Wagner, Madeline Rollant, Aly Stroyne and Puntil all contributed to the NA win. Sophomores Lilienthal and Martin were a combined 6 for 6. A perfect ending to a perfect September Fall day.
NA Slow-Pitch Towers Over Titans
On this cold fall day in October, the Lady Tigers bats were on fire. The team batted an astonishing .667 (24 for 36) with NA scoring 14 runs in the first two innings of game one. In the next two innings, they put up another 11 runs in a route of the Shaler Titans, 25-14. The game ended after 4 1/2 innings due to the 10-run rule being in effect. Everyone on the Tiger team had at least one RBI. The team was led by senior Laura Puntil who went 3 for 4 at the plate with five RBI’s. Kristen Kovalchik and Bri Wagner combined their sticks to muster 4 hits and seven RBI’s. And junior, Lauren Randolph also contributed to the run barrage going 2 for 3 and driving in four runs. Sophomore Carly Kovalchik was 3 for 3 and also had 2 RBI’s on the day.
Game two started the same way game one ended, with NA’s bats knocking in nine runs in the top of the first. The team never looked back in cruising to another big win and a 26-8 final score. The Lady Tigers find themselves with 9-3 record with two games remaining before the playoffs. Sophomore Jordyn Lilienthal, led the team with 5 RBI’s and hit her second HR of the season. Junior Kristen Kovalchik, got her groove back and knocked in 4 RBI’s on the first grand slam of the year. Junior Alexis Kruth had two HR’s on the afternoon and knocked in 5 RBI’s. Super sophomore Paulette Rollant went 2 for 2 at the plate and hit her first ever home run. Sophomore Carly Martin had a great defensive game and senior Jess Blendinger got the Lady Tigers going in the leadoff spot and hitting 3 for 4. Aly Stroyne, arguably the best pitcher in the game, stymied the hard hitting Titans with her ability to locate her pitches to her coach’s request.
DH Split With Seneca Valley For NA Slow-Pitch
The NA Lady Tigers after winning 3 of their last 4 games, find themselves 6-2 on the season and traveling to Cranberry Township to play the Seneca Valley Lady Raiders. Game one proved to be a nail biter with NA losing 6-5. The Tigers fell flat and left wondering what happened to the team from just one short week ago where everything seemed to come together. In a back and forth affair, the ladies fell short and ended the game with a meager 9 for 32 at the plate. Seventeen of the Lady Tiger outs were fly balls. The only bright spots of the game were senior Jess Blendinger who went 1 for 2 with 2 RBI’s and junior Lauren Randolph who was 2 for 3.
After a disappointing and poor performance in game one, NA looked to rebound. Game two was off to a slow start with the score tied at 2-2 after four innings. Seneca Valley scored two more in the top of the 5th to make the score 4-2. The Raiders of SV and Lady Tigers of NA both went scoreless in the sixth inning taking the same score of 4-2 into the top of the seventh. The Raiders scored 1 to go up 5-2 in the seventh inning and NA coming to the plate down three runs. The sun beginning to set on yet this another beautiful September day, the NA Lady Tigers seemed to be going down just as quickly. With poor performances in both the field and at the plate, the chances of winning were slim. Well, slim left the building and the Lady Tigers woke up to a roar of the bats of Emily Barbus, Alexis Kruth, Blendinger and Sammy McCoy to score 3 runs, tie the game and enter extra innings. In the top of the 8th, and SV at the plate, the Tigers found themselves down 8-5. The Raiders got a huge 2 out 3 run bases clearing double, by their stellar left fielder and 5th batter, Julianna. NA found themselves down once again by 3 runs entering the bottom of the 8th inning. A single by senior Brianna Wagner and walks to both Laura Puntil and Aly Stroyne loaded the bases and scored the international tie breaker runner (who started the inning on 2nd base) to find NA down 8-6. With no outs and all the pressure on NA’s next batter, in steps freshman Rachel Giger. The fabulous freshman, Giger roped the ball over the shortstop to knock in two runs and tie the game 8-8. The next two batters fly out and line out respectively. Two outs, game tied and up to the plate is sophomore Jordyn Lilienthal. Jordyn hit the ball to the back-hand of the shortstop for SV, after a bobble, and all the NA girls running full steam, found herself unable to throw the ball to anyone, all base runners safe and NA wins 9-8 in extra innings. The ladies proved that attitude, team work, and confidence goes a long way. Well done lady Tigers!
Lady Tigers Wrangle Mustangs
The North Allegheny Lady Tigers opponent this beautiful Sunday in Septmeber were the Plum Mustangs. Going into these games, the Tigers found themsleves 4-2 on the season and looking to put it all together. Learning from past mistakes and making the necessary adjustments, the girls played their most two complete and efficient games of the season. NA won both games in 5 innings due to the 10-run rule being in effect. Final scores for each game were 13-3 and 21-5. Senior Laura Puntil led the team with 6 RBI’s and going 3 for 5 on the afternoon. Followed by senior Brianna Wagner, junior Lauren Randoplh and sophomore Carly Martin each with 4 RBI’s and a combined 11-19. Also contributing to the run fest games were, seniors Jess Bledinger, Sammy McCoy, Madeline Rollant and Aly Stroyne, juniors Emily Barbus, Kristen Kovalchik, and Alexis Kruth, as well as sophomore Jordyn Lilienthal. Well done Lady Tigers!
NA Slow-Pitch Splits Doubleheader With North Hills
In game one of this double header, NA jumped out to a 5-0 lead going into the bottom of the 4th thanks to a lead off trip trip triple by Bri Wagner and yet another, this time 2 RBI trip trip triple by Alexis Kruth and hits by Kristen Kovalchik and Aly Stroyne. After two poor defensive innings in both the 4th and 5th and uncharacteristic errors in the field, we found ourselves down 10-6. The resiliant Lady Tigers fought back in innings 6 and 7 to score 2 runs in the 6th and 4 runs in the top of the 7th. Senior, Laura Puntil smoked a line drive 3-2 pitch to left field, knocking in two of the 4 RBI’s, and again it was Kruth crushing a 2 run scoring double to deep center field unloading the bases to account for the other two rbi’s. Final score NA 12 – North Hills 11.
In game two, NA jumped out to a whopping 9-2 lead after three full innings with the help of the big bats of Seniors Aly Stroyne,Laura Puntil and Jess Bledinger, Junior Alexis Kruth and Sophomore Jordyn Lilenthal the Lady Tigers appeared to have game 2 in the proverbial bag. Then came the fourth and fifth innings where NH put together 10 hits, 5 of them in a row, to take the lead to 10-9. The Lady Tigers answered the bell. They put together a six run bottom of the 5th to retake the lead 15-10. Aided by hits from Emily Barbus, Sammy McCoy, Lauren Randolph and Lilienthal. NH answered in this back and forth game to close the gap to 15-12. Bats went quiet for NA in the bottom of that same inning to keep the score 15-12 after six full innings. Assisted by three (3) Lady Tiger errors and 9 hits in the top of the 7th inning NH scored, NA found themselves down and deflated going into the bottom of the last inning to lose a heart breaker 21-15.
