THE RUNDOWN
Game One Score: at Gannon 10, Clarion 2 (6 innings)
Records: GU (9-5, 3-0 PSAC West) | CU (2-9, 1-4 PSAC West)
Game One Box Score
Game Two Score: at Gannon 11, Clarion 3 (6 innings)
Records: GU (10-5, 4-0 PSAC West) | CU (2-10, 1-5 PSAC West)
Game Two Box Score
Location: Gannon University Field  |  Erie, Pa.
The Short Story: The Gannon softball team swept Clarion in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division action Monday at Gannon University Field. The Lady Knights captured a pair of six-inning victories to remain unbeaten in divisional play. To open the day, the Lady Knights earned a 10-2 victory on a seven-run explosion in the fifth inning. GU secured an 11-3 win over the Golden Eagles in game two erupting for five runs in the first inning. The Lady Knights have won 24 straight games against the Golden Eagles dating back to the 2000 season.
 
GAME ONE SCORE: at Gannon 10, Clarion 2 (6 innings)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED  |  GAME ONE
- Redshirt senior Katie Dunn (Clarkston, Mich. / Troy) put Gannon on the board with an RBI-double to left field for a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Next up, sophomore Jen Moran (West Mifflin, Pa. / Fox Chapel) drove in Dunn to push the Lady Knights' advantage to 2-0.
- Clarion tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the fifth. Following a double play, the Golden Eagles managed to reach base before Casey Wilcox drilled a shot over the left-field wall to knot the game at two each.
- With two outs on the board, the Lady Knights erupted for seven runs in the bottom half of the inning. Moran opened the Lady Knights' scoring with an RBI-single to score senior Jess Rectenwald (Pittsburgh, Pa. / North Hills). A walk by junior Rachel deGuia (Canal Fulton, Ohio / Northwest) loaded the bases as junior Alexa Archambeault (Horseheads, N.Y. / Horseheads) drove in Dunn on an RBI-single to left field for a Lady Knights' 4-2 lead. Another walk by junior Sarah DiOrio (Hunker, Pa. / Hempfield Area) kept the march home rolling before the Lady Knights forced the Golden Eagles' second pitching change of the inning. Freshman Allie Salerno (Hamburg, N.Y. / Hamburg) popped an RBI-base hit through the left side leading to Archambeault scoring on a wild pitch. Rectenwald closed the Lady Knights' run with a two-RBI single to center field to take a 9-2 lead.
- To open the bottom of the sixth, Moran reached base on a triple following a fly out. Archambeault zipped an RBI-double down the right-field line, scoring Moran for the walkoff 10-2 win in six innings.  
 
GAME NOTES  |  GAME ONE
- Moran went a perfect 4-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Archambeault registered three hits with two RBI and a run scored. Rectenwald tacked on two hits along with two RBI and a run scored.
- Dunn and Archambeault each had a double with Moran collecting a triple.
- Sophomore Olivia Gumbita (Latrobe, Pa. / Greater Latrobe) (5-1) captured the win in six innings. Gumbita surrendered two earned runs off eight total hits. She also struck out five batters.
- Gannon recorded 12 hits with Clarion finishing game one with eight.
 
GAME TWO SCORE: at Gannon 11, Clarion 3 (6 innings)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED  |  GAME TWO
- Gannon captured an early 5-0 lead in the bottom of the first frame, turning four hits into five runs. All five runs came with two outs on the board. With the bases loaded, a Golden Eagles' error led to the Lady Knights' first run of game two. On the play, deGuia reached first on the fielding error in center, resulting in a 3-0 lead. A ground-rule double by Archambeault extended the Lady Knights' lead to 4-0 before freshman Katie Eckelberry (Uniontown, Ohio / North Canton Hoover) found the gap in right center with an RBI-single for a 5-0 advantage.
- Rectenwald held the Golden Eagles to just two hits in the first four innings including consecutive three-and-outs in the second and third.
- In the bottom of the third, the Lady Knights added a run on an RBI-double by Archambeault for a 6-0 lead.
- The Lady Knights tacked on two more runs in the fourth inning to take an 8-0 advantage. Both runs came on wild pitches by a member of the Golden Eagles' pitching staff.
-  Clarion broke its scoreless stretch with three runs in the fifth to cut into the Lady Knights' 8-3 lead.
- Gannon sealed the six-inning victory with three runs in the bottom of the final inning. Two quick ground outs opened the Lady Knights' at bat before Moran dropped a double into center field. Off a throwing error, the Lady Knights' Moran scored the team's first run to inch closer, 9-3. Following a walk by Archambeault, Salerno sent an RBI-single to left center to force a pitching change. The Lady Knights' finished off the 11-3 win with an RBI-double by freshman Kaylyn Shaughnessy (Barrie, Ontario / Bear Creek Secondary) to score Archambeault from second.
 
GAME NOTES  |  GAME TWO
- Archambeault went 2-for-3 with two doubles, two RBI and two runs scored. Moran and Shaughnessy each posted a double.
- Eight Lady Knights recorded at least one hit in the win.
- Rectenwald (2-1) pitched six innings, holding the Golden Eagles scoreless. She surrendered three hits with two strikeouts.
- Gannon held a 9-6 hitting advantage.
- Since joining the PSAC for the 2009 regular season, the Lady Knights remain unbeaten in the all-time series with 12 consecutive victories.
 
UP NEXT
Gannon concludes the month at Slippery Rock March 31, with a PSAC Western Division twinbill. Game one is set to begin at 2:30 p.m.