THE RUNDOWNGame One Score: Ashland 3, Gannon 1
Records: Ashland (2-0), Gannon (0-1)
Game Two Score: Gannon 1, Saint Rose 0
Records: Gannon (1-1), Saint Rose (0-2)
Location: National Training Center | Clermont, Fla.
The Short Story: The Gannon softball team opened the regular season with a split at the National Training Center Sunday. The Lady Knights dropped the season opener, 3-1, to Ashland. In their next game, sophomore
Olivia Gumbita (Latrobe, Pa. / Greater Latrobe) collected a 1-0 shutout victory over Saint Rose to earn the Lady Knights' first win of the season.
GAME ONE SCORE: Ashland 3, Gannon 1
Records: Ashland (2-0), Gannon (0-1)
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME ONE- Ashland took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second. Leading off with a double, the Eagles managed to put runners in scoring position at second and third. On a force out at first, Taylor Menha scored the Eagles' first tally for a 1-0 lead. An RBI-single by Sarah Allery pushed the Eagles' lead to 2-0.
- Gannon answered back in the top of the fourth. With the bases loaded, senior
Meghan Cunha (Geneva, Ohio / Edgewood) drove in fellow senior
Jess Rectenwald (Pittsburgh, Pa. / North Hills) to cut the Eagles' lead in half, 2-1. Rectenwald earlier reached base on a single to right field for the Lady Knights' first hit of the day.
- In the bottom of the sixth, the Eagles tacked on an insurance run with the bases loaded once again. Facing two outs, the Eagles capitalized on a Lady Knights' error to push their lead to 3-1.
GAME NOTES | GAME ONE- Cunha went an impressive 3-for-3 at the plate, recording three of the Lady Knights' four combined hits. She also recorded an RBI after driving in Rectenwald.
- Rectenwald (0-1) saw a complete game, striking out two batters. She surrendered just four hits including two earned runs.
GAME TWO SCORE: Gannon 1, Saint Rose 0
Records: Gannon (1-1), Saint Rose (0-2)
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME TWO- Despite being outhit by a 7-4 advantage, Gannon managed to earn its first win of the season. The victory was credited to a strong defensive effort and pitching performance by Gumbita, who earned the complete-game shutout victory.
- Possessing two hits through two innings, the Lady Knights were able to take an advantage of an error-filled third inning by Saint Rose. With Rectenwald reaching base on the first Saint Rose error, she was able to move to second on a ground out. On the next play, the senior slid over to third on a passed ball. Saint Rose's second error allowed Rectenwald to score the first and only run of the game for a 1-0 Lady Knights' lead.
- Despite trailing in the game, Saint Rose was never able to reach beyond second base in the remaining innings. Gumbita retired two of the four batters she faced in the fourth inning. The sophomore recorded five of her seven strikeouts in the final four innings.
GAME NOTES | GAME TWO- Gumbita (1-0) collected a shutout-victory in a complete-game performance. She recorded five of her seven strikeouts by leaving the batter swinging. She surrendered seven hits in the win.
- Three Lady Knights went 1-for-2 at the plate including juniors
Alexa Archambeault (Horseheads, N.Y. / Horseheads) and
Alyssa Bates (Greensburg, Pa. / Hempfield) and sophomore
Jen Moran (West Mifflin, Pa. / Fox Chapel). Archambeault registered a double.
UP NEXTGannon returns to action at the National Training Center Monday, March 2. The day's action opens against Cedarville at 9 a.m. followed by the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia at 1 p.m.
