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QUAKERTOWN, Pa. - Upon splitting games on the opening day of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Softball Tournament Thursday at Veterans Park, the Gannon Lady Knights remain alive in the double-elimination conference championship. Faced with a lightning delay, the Lady Knights rallied for a 3-2 walk-off victory in the ninth over Mansfield. To open the day, the Lady Knights dropped a 5-2 decision to Bloomsburg to move into the consolation round.

Continuing their run in the consolation round Friday, the Lady Knights (24-20) will face Eastern Division No. 1 seed West Chester (35-18) to open the second day of competition at 1 p.m. The Lady Knights and Golden Rams split their previous two meetings. The squads will square off for the first time at the PSAC Tournament.

In the consolation round, the Lady Knights earned the right to continue on with a 3-2 nine-inning win over Mansfield (23-17). The game marked the first time the two meets at the PSAC Tournament. The all-time series is now even at 4-4.

Following three scoreless opening innings between the Lady Knights and Mansfield, the two teams exchanged solo-home runs in the fourth inning. The Mountaineers' Kate Pratt sent the first pitch she saw over the centerfield wall to take a 1-0 lead. Junior Caitlyn Colucci (Lancaster, N.Y./Sacred Heart) answered with her second home run of the season to knot the game at 1-1.

The Mountaineers fired right back with a leadoff home run in the top of the fifth by Megan Miller to take a 2-1 lead. For the second time, the Mountaineers hit a home run off the first pitch they saw coming across the plate.

Then the rain fell. And the lightning struck. With lightning in the area, the game was forced into a 50-minute delay in the top of the sixth.

Returning to action and trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the seventh, junior Jess Rectenwald (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) tied the game at 2-2 with her second long ball of the day and third of the season to force extra innings.

With runners at first and second and two outs in the eighth, the Mountaineers tried to extend a base hit into the go-ahead run. The Mountaineers' Kaitlyn Harris sent the ball into left field, as Stephanie Simmeth raced the bases. Sophomore Alexa Archambeault (Horseheads, N.Y/Horseheads) scooped up the ball with Simmeth rounding third. Archambeault completed the relay throw to sophomore catcher Alyssa Bates (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield), who made the tag at home on Simmeth to halt the Mountaineers' scoring chance.

In the top of the ninth and a runner at third, starting pitcher Olivia Gumbita (Latrobe, Pa./Greater Latrobe) left the batter looking to retire the side with the score remaining tied at 2-2.  

Facing two outs and Archambeault at third in the bottom half of the inning, senior Kirstie Cortazzo (Jeannette, Pa./Jeannette) found the gap in left center to hand the Lady Knights a 3-2 win and a chance to advance in the consolation round of the conference championship.

Rectenwald and Cortazzo collected a pair of hits and an RBI each, while Colucci picked up the other RBI.

Gumbita improved to 8-5 overall, surrendering just two earned runs off nine hits. The freshman retired a career game-high 11 batters in the complete-game performance.

The Lady Knights opened the PSAC Tournament with a 5-2 loss to Eastern Division No. 2 Bloomsburg (27-15). For the third straight year the Lady Knights and Huskies faced off to open the PSAC Tournament. With the win, the Huskies remain unbeaten against the Lady Knights at 4-0.

Rectenwald wasted little time at the plate with a leadoff home run in the top of the first, taking the ball deep to dead centerfield for her second home run of the season.

Following a scoreless second and third innings, the Lady Knights added a run in the fourth off a fielder's choice to take a 2-0 lead.

From there, the Huskies scored five unanswered runs to rally for the 5-2 win over the Lady Knights. Scoring on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fourth, the Huskies were held to a three up, three down fifth-inning.

The Huskies erased the Lady Knights' lead in the seventh inning with a pair of two-run home runs by Sarah Bertoni and Rachel Fredell.

Being held to three hits against the Huskies, Rectenwald, Meghan Cunha (North Kingsville, Ohio/Edgewood) and redshirt junior Katie Dunn (Troy, Mich./Troy) collected the Lady Knights' hits.

Rectenwald moved to 12-7 on the season in her 14th complete game. The junior allowed five earned runs off 10 hits, striking out three batters.

Gannon returns to action on day two of the PSAC Tournament May 2 against Eastern Division No. 1 West Chester. The first pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m on field four.