Caitlin Nealer
The Allegheny softball team capped an exciting NCAC tournament run with a 3-2 victory over Wittenberg Saturday.The win gave the Gators their fourth conference crown and their first since 2007.
Tournament MVP Caitlin Nealer led the fourth-seeded Gators by pitching every inning in four games. Nealer fanned 30 batters and allowed just four earned runs.
Read more on the tournament title here.
Let’s recap Week 13, shall we?
Game of the week: No. 1 Notre Dame at USC
Final score: Irish 22, Trojans 13
Pregame rant: This is pretty simple. The Irish win, they’re playing for a national title.
Notre Dame hasn’t won it all since the 1988 season, but hasn’t really contended for one since 1989 when it lost to No. 1 Colorado in the 1990 Orange Bowl.
So for the Irish, this is a long time coming. For USC, this is a season it’d like to forget.
The Trojans have lost four games, their best player – quarterback Matt Barkley – is out with a shoulder injury and they’re coming off a 38-28 loss to in-town rival UCLA.
Beating the Irish would sure wipe the slate clean for USC.
Conference play is in full swing entering tonight’s round of PSAC, AMCC and NCAC games. Highlighting the Erie-area schedule: Gannon travels to Edinboro for a women’s/men’s doubleheader starting at 5:30 p.m. Gannon men’s coach John Reilly is trying for his 100th win. Check out Thursday’s Erie Times-News and www.GoErie.com for coverage and photos from both games.
Men
PSAC
Gannon at Edinboro (Edinboro release)
Gannon at Edinboro (Gannon release)
AMCC
Medaille (11-5, 7-2) at Penn State Behrend (13-1, 8-0)
8 p.m., at Junker Center
TV: Image Sports Network
Medaille: The two-time defending AMCC champion can get back into the race with unbeaten Behrend and La Roche with a road win. Sr. F Ron Malicki had 14 points and six rebounds and sr. F Joe Mogavero 13 and seven in the Dec. 1 home loss to the Lions.
Behrend: The Lions won 66-62 at Medaille Dec. 1. Sr. F Chris Saltzman had 28 points in the win, with so. C Russ Conley adding 16. The Lions shoot 51.2 percent from the floor (361-700) and 42.6 percent 3-pointers (114-265).
NCAC
Allegheny College (5-11, 2-6) at No. 1 Wooster (16-0, 7-0)
7:30 p.m., Timpken Gymnasium, Wooster, Ohio
Allegheny: The Gators gave Wooster all it wanted before falling 76-73 Dec. 8 at Allegheny. So. G Devone McLeod and jr. F Jamie Ness had 20 points each.
Wooster: Sr. G Ian Franks’ 3-pointer with one second left lifted Wooster in the win at Allegheny. Franks averages 18.4 ppg and 6.7 rpg.
Women
PSAC
Gannon at Edinboro (Edinboro release)
Gannon at Edinboro (Gannon release)
AMCC
Medaille (14-1, 9-0) at Penn State Behrend (10-4, 6-2)
6 p.m., Junker Center
TV: Image Sports Network
Medaille: Fr. F Bianca Smiley (15.2 ppg, 7.2 rpg) and fr. G Joelle Pollak (13.3) lead the Mavericks, who have won four of the past five AMCC titles.
Behrend: The Lions were outscored 36-28 in the second half and outrebounded 42-32 in a 74-63 loss at Medaille Dec. 1. Behrend is 9-1 since the loss.
NCAC
Wooster (2-13, 0-5) at Allegheny College (9-6, 3-2)
7:30 p.m., Wise Center
Wooster: The Fighting Scots average 56.5 ppg and have lost 11-of-12.
Allegheny: Sr. G Jill Gregory (15.2 ppg, 24 steals), so. F Heide Goeller (14.9) and so. F Daryl Ford (6.9 rpg) lead the Gators, who have won two in a row.
