The College of Wooster softball team hit the road for the final time in 2009 Thursday afternoon, making a trip to Meadville, Pa., where host Allegheny College handed the Fighting Scots a pair of hard-fought North Coast Athletic Conference losses. The Gators got an unearned run in the ninth inning to take game one 4-3, and then capitalized on some timely hits and Wooster fielding miscues to pick up the win in game two 8-0.

Wooster (6-32, 3-9 NCAC) would be the first to strike in game one, beginning with a leadoff double by senior Kim Skully, followed by Priscilla Staples' first homerun on the spring, and third of her career, for an early 2-0 lead.           

Allegheny (20-14, 8-4 NCAC) cut the Scot advantage in half during their portion of the second inning via an unearned run on a pair of Wooster errors.

The Scots padded their lead in the top of the sixth, when sophomore Lauren Sargi smacked a triple to right field, her second of the season, and came home on a sacrifice fly off the bat of freshman Marissa Stover, to go up 3-1.

Allegheny answered on the scoreboard, deadlocking the contest in their half of the sixth inning. Back-to-back singles from Bessie Artino and Katie Wills, putting Gators on first and second with one out. The next batter, Marci Potuzko, hit a triple to right field, plating both Atrino and Wills to tie the game at 3-3.

The hosts nearly ended the contest in the seventh after putting a runner on third with two outs, but Wooster hurler Andrea Kelley got Artino to strike out, ending the threat.

After Wooster stranded a runner in the eighth, and was set down in order in the ninth, Allison Piper reached for the Gators on a Wooster error to start the bottom of the ninth. She advanced on a sacrifice bunt, promptly stole third, and came home on a sharp single by Stephanie Baer that deflected off the glove of Kelley, giving the Gators the extra-inning win.

In game two, Allegheny starter Amanda Downey stifled the Scot bats, allowing just a one-out single to right-center off the bat of Caitlin Gaffney, over five innings, while striking out five and walking two. Allegheny capitalized on a Scot fielding miscue to score four runs off of starter Katie Pifer in the second inning, added one in the third, two more in the fourth, and a final tally in the fifth.

Staples was Wooster's top hitter in the opener with a 3-for-4 performance, along with two RBI and a run scored. Skully accounted for a run and connected on two singles, while Gaffney came through with two hits in four plate appearances.

Kelley took the loss in the opener, pitching 8.1 innings and surrendering four runs (two earned), while striking out three and walking two. Pifer was credited with the loss in the nightcap, giving up eight runs (five earned), while striking out two and walking one.

For the Gators, Maggie Bodenlos went a combined 4-for-7 with two runs scored and an RBI, while Artino and Potuzko each produced 3-for-6 performances. Baer went the final eight innings in the first game for the victory, allowing one run on five hits, striking out four, and not walking a batter.

Wooster will conclude its season on Saturday when it welcomes Wittenberg University (13-19, 5-5 NCAC) for a doubleheader. The first pitch is set for 1 p.m.