Video Highlights

THE RUNDOWN
Game One Score: at Gannon 12, Edinboro 4 (5 innings)
Records: Gannon (7-5, 1-0 PSAC West) | Edinboro (8-3, 0-1 PSAC West)
Game One Box Score
Game Two Score: at Gannon 3, Edinboro 1
Records: Gannon (8-5, 2-0 PSAC West) | Edinboro (8-4, 0-2 PSAC West)
Game Two Box Score
Location: Gannon University Field  |  Erie, Pa.
The Short Story: The Gannon softball team rallied twice past Edinboro to earn a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division sweep Tuesday at Gannon University Field. The Lady Knights combined for 11 runs in the fourth and fifth innings of game one to rally past the Fighting Scots with a 12-4 victory in five innings. In the nightcap, the Lady Knights scored three runs in the third inning to capture a 3-1 win and sweep to open divisional play. Junior Alyssa Bates (Greensburg, Pa. / Hempfield) finished the day with eight combined RBI including a career-best six and a grand slam in the opener.
 
GAME ONE SCORE: at Gannon 12, Edinboro 4 (5 innings)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED  |  GAME ONE
- Edinboro captured an early 4-0 lead in the top of the first to open game one. With one swing of the bat, the Fighting Scots' Taylor Payne cleared the bases with a grand slam to take the four-run lead.
- After surrendering the first-inning grand slam, sophomore pitcher Olivia Gumbita (Latrobe, Pa. / Greater Latrobe) held the Fighting Scots scoreless. Gumbita finished the day striking out five batters and allowing just three hits in the remaining four innings.
- Looking to cut into the Fighting Scots' lead, the Lady Knights tacked on their first run in the bottom of the third. Bates hit an RBI-sacrifice fly to deep center, allowing senior Jess Rectenwald (Pittsburgh, Pa. / North Hills) to score.
- The Lady Knights exploded for 11 combined runs between the fourth and fifth innings to seal the eight-run victory. With the bases loaded, Rectenwald strung a shot down the leftfield-line to score junior Rachel deGuia (Canal Fulton, Ohio / Northwest). An RBI-sacrifice fly by senior Meghan Cunha (Geneva, Ohio / Edgewood) led to an RBI-double by Bates to knot the game at 4-4. Redshirt senior Katie Dunn (Clarkston, Mich. / Troy) broke the tie on a two-RBI double to help the Lady Knights' rally for a 6-4 lead to close the fourth.
- Facing one out, the Lady Knights loaded the bases starting with a single by Rectenwald. On just the second pitch, Bates stepped in to crush the grand slam over the left-center wall for a 10-4 Gannon advantage. An RBI-triple sent down the rightfield-line by deGuia moving the Lady Knights' closer to the eight-run rule, 11-4. Junior Alexa Archambeault (Horseheads, N.Y. / Horseheads) closed the Lady Knights' six-run fifth inning with an RBI-base hit to score deGuia for the 12-4 walk-off win.
 
GAME NOTES  |  GAME ONE
- Bates went 2-for-2 a home run and a double to compile a career-best six RBI. Her grand slam in the fifth was her first eighth career shot and second of the season. It was her first career four-run bomb at Gannon.
- Bates' grand slam was the first by a Lady Knight since March 7, 2013 versus Saint Anselm at the National Training Center in Clermont, Fla. The Lady Knights captured a 9-3 win.
- Rectenwald recorded three hits along with three runs scored and an RBI.
- Dunn, deGuia and Archambeault finished with a pair of hits each. Dunn collected two RBI, while deGuia and Archambeault tacked on one.
- Gumbita (4-1) pitched 5.0 innings, surrendering only five hits. She struck out seven of the 22 batters she faced.
- Gannon posted 13 hits with Edinboro finishing game one with five.
 
GAME TWO SCORE: at Gannon 3, Edinboro 1
 
HOW IT HAPPENED  |  GAME TWO
- Trailing Edinboro once again, Gannon overcame the deficit. The Lady Knights fell behind 1-0 in the top of the second on an RBI-base hit from Brooke Callaghan.
- The Lady Knights erased the Fighting Scots' lead with three runs in the bottom of the third. The Fighting Scots opened the third with consecutive errors to runners on board. An RBI-single by Rectenwald drove in Archambeault from second to tie the nightcap at 1-1. Following back-to-back strikeouts left two runners stranded at the corners. Bates recorded her seventh and eighth RBI on a two-run single to push the Lady Knights ahead 3-1.
- In the remaining four innings, the game turned into a pitcher's duel. Edinboro's Kalet Lenart and Rectenwald each allowed just one hit each. Gannon was able to reach second once, while Boro could not extend a play beyond first.  
 
GAME NOTES  |  GAME TWO
- Rectenwald went 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI.
- Bates added two more RBI to her day's total, pushing it to eight in the sweep of Edinboro. She finished the day with three hits including two doubles and a home run.
- Rectenwald (1-1) captured a complete-game victory. She allowed one run off three hits and struck out five batters.
- Only seven total hits were surrendered with a game-high four from the Lady Knights.
- The Fighting Scots finished the day with four errors including three in the night cap.
- GU has won seven of their last eight games against Boro, sweeping three of the past four series.
 
UP NEXT
Gannon travels to Clarion March 28 for a conference twinbill. Game one is set to begin at 1 p.m.