Box Score vs. Winston-Salem State
Box Score vs. Bowie State
SALEM, Va. - The Gannon softball team opened the Salem Invitational at the Botetourt Sports Complex Friday with a pair of victories. The Lady Knights held on for 5-4 win over the Winston-Salem State Rams to open the Invitational before dominating the Bowie State Bulldogs in five innings by the score of 14-0. The Lady Knights improved to 6-5 overall, while the Rams fell to 4-6 and the Bulldogs dropped to 1-7.
The Lady Knights captured a 1-0 lead in the top of the second off an RBI-single by redshirt junior Katie Dunn (Troy, Mich./Troy). Looking to erase the Lady Knights' lead, the Rams left the bases loaded in the bottom of the inning with a force out at third.
Tacking on a run in the fourth, Dunn doubled to left to get the Lady Knights on base. Moving to third on a ground out, Dunn managed to score on the next at bat off a throwing error by the catcher.
With runners at the corners, the Lady Knights solidified their lead in the fifth to 5-0 off an inside-the-park home run. Sophomore Alexa Archambeault (Horseheads, N.Y./Horseheads) belted the ball deep inside the right-field corner, allowing time for her to drive in junior Caitlyn Colucci (Lancaster, N.Y./Sacred Heart) and senior Kirstie Cortazzo (Jeannette, Pa./Jeannette) before reaching home herself.
The Rams answered back in the fifth with three runs to pull within two of the Lady Knights, 5-3. Starting with back-to-back walks to open the inning, a ground out to second placed runners in scoring position. An RBI-single to center by Kiah Ruffin tallied the Rams' first run. Their next tally came off a wild pitch before Ruffin stole home.
Tallying a run in the sixth, the Rams whittled the Lady Knights' lead to one. With one out, Andreya O'Brien hit a ball to right, allowing a run to score for a Lady Knights' 5-4 advantage. With the tying run at third, a ground out to the pitcher would have stranded the runner at third with one more chance of an at-bat. On the play, the Rams decided to send the runner home on the play, as Colucci made the throw to home with Dunn tagging out the runner to end the inning.
In pursuit of a rally, the Rams came short with three straight ground outs to secure the Lady Knights' 5-4 win.
With an inside-the-park homer, Archambeault went 2-for-3 with two runs and three RBI to lead the Lady Knights in the win. Colucci and Dunn also went 2-for-3 with each adding a run and a RBI.
Junior Jess Rectenwald (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) collected the win to improve to 4-2 on the season. In 5.0 innings, Rectenwald struck out three batters. She allowed four earned runs off three hits. Sophomore Alison Benz (Orchard Park, N.Y./Mount Mercy Academy) picked up her first save of the season in two innings of relief work. Benz only surrendered one hit and struck out one batter.
In game two against Bowie State, 16 Lady Knights saw action in the 14-0 victory. The Lady Knights jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the first inning. Facing two outs with the bases loaded, sophomore Rachel deGuia (Canal Fulton, Ohio/Northwest) walked in the Lady Knights' first run. A single to left field by freshman Rachel Zimmers (Wyandotte, Mich./Theodore Roosevelt) drove in a pair of runs to extend the Lady Knights' lead to 3-0.
The Lady Knights advanced their lead to 8-0 in the second. Three Lady Knight base-hits loaded the bases for a Dunn RBI-single to short. With the bases remaining full, Rectenwald punched a two-RBI double down the left-field line. deGuia closed out the Lady Knights' inning with her second RBI of the evening on a single.
Following back-to-back three up, three down innings for the Bulldogs, the Lady Knights pushed its advantage to 14-0. With the bases loaded once again, Cortazzo smacked a two-RBI single into center to take a 10-0 lead. Entering as a pinch hitter, freshman Kalie Rzodkiewicz (Harbor Creek, Pa./Harbor Creek) hit a two-RBI base hit to left followed by a RBI-sacrifice fly by sophomore Sarah DiOrio (Hunker, Pa./Hempfield Area). The Lady Knights' final run came off a RBI-double down the left-field line by Zimmers.
In the contest, the Bulldogs were not able to reach beyond second base.
After earning a save against Winston-Salem State, Benz returned to the mound against Bowie State. Holding the Bulldogs scoreless in 5.0 innings of work, the sophomore fanned four batters and only allowed three hits.
Colucci, Rzodkiewicz and Archambeault each went 2-for-2. Zimmers finished the day with a team-high three RBI after going 2-for-4. Cortazzo and Dunn added two hits to the Lady Knights' 16 hits.
Gannon returns to action at the Salem Invitational Saturday against No. 22 West Virginia Wesleyan at 11 a.m. and Virginia-Wise at 3 p.m.
