THE RUNDOWN
Game One Score: Gannon 10, Georgian Court 9 (8 innings)
Game One Box Score
Records: Gannon (5-2) | Georgian Court (0-7)
Game Two Score: Gannon 4, Wheeling Jesuit 3
Game Two Box Score
Records: Gannon (6-2) | Wheeling Jesuit (2-5)
Location: National Training Center  |  Clermont, Fla.
The Short Story: Following a day off, the Gannon softball team returned to action by picking up a pair of wins Thursday at the National Training Center. The Lady Knights captured a walk-off 10-9 victory over Georgian Court on a two-RBI double by sophomore Jen Moran (West Mifflin, Pa. / Fox Chapel) in the eighth. Junior reliever Alison Benz (Orchard Park, N.Y. / Mount Mercy Academy) earned her second win of the day in a 4-3 victory over Wheeling Jesuit.
 
GAME ONE SCORE: Gannon 10, Georgian Court 9 (8 innings)
Records: Gannon (5-2) | Georgian Court (0-7)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED  |  GAME ONE
- Gannon opened the scoring in the bottom of the opening frame with an RBI-single up the middle by senior Jess Rectenwald (Pittsburgh, Pa. / North Hills) for a 1-0 lead.
- In the next inning, the Lady Knights added a run on a Georgian Court error to take a 2-0 advantage.
- The Lions split the difference, 2-1, with a run in the top of the third. The Lady Knights answered back with three runs in the bottom of the fourth for a 5-1 lead. With the bases loaded, freshman Jackie Martinez (Phoenix, Ariz. / Xavier College Prep) managed to score on a ground out to first. Back-to-back Lions' errors allowed the Lady Knights to score two more runs to take a four-run lead.
- In the top of the sixth, Georgian Court tied the game at 5-5. Following an RBI-base hit, the Lions' three next runs came off a home run by Alycia Marsello to center.
- Forced into extra innings, the Lions captured a 9-5 lead after scoring four in the top of the eighth. Marsello struck again with another three-run shot. After the Lady Knights surrendered four runs, Benz entered in relief to retire the side on a fly out and a line out.
- With Martinez at second, she managed to reach third on a wild pitch followed by a walk from junior Rachel deGuia (Canal Fulton, Ohio / Northwest). An RBI-single by senior Meghan Cunha (Geneva, Ohio / Edgewood) cut into the Lions' 9-6 lead. Forcing a pitching change with the bases loaded, Rectenwald drilled a two-RBI double to center to pull to within one, 9-8. Following a ground out, Moran drilled a walk-off two-RBI double into right-centerfield to score both Rectenwald and redshirt senior Katie Dunn (Clarkston, Mich. / Troy) for the 10-9 victory.
 
GAME NOTES  |  GAME ONE
- Cunha, Rectenwald and Moran finished the day with a couple hits each. Rectenwald led the Lady Knights with four RBI. Martinez crossed the plate three times and picked up three walks.
- Benz (2-1) entered in relief to secure the win. Appearing in 0.2 innings of work, the junior retired the two batters she faced.
- Sophomore Olivia Gumbita (Latrobe, Pa. / Greater Latrobe) started the game, pitching 7.1 innings worth. Gumbita struck out 12 batters and surrendered eight hits.  
- Georgian Court ran into four errors compared to one for Gannon.
- The teams combined for 17 hits. The Lady Knights finished with a game-high nine.
 
GAME TWO SCORE: Gannon 4, Wheeling Jesuit 3
Records: Gannon (6-2) | Wheeling Jesuit (2-5)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED  |  GAME TWO
- Wheeling Jesuit captured a 2-0 lead to close the first frame on a pair of RBI-base hits.
- Gannon knotted the game at 2-2 in the top of the second. With junior Sarah DiOrio (Hunker, Pa. / Hempfield Area) at first to replace Rectenwald, a double down the right-field line by Bates put runners in scoring position. A ground out to short, allowed DiOrio to score the Lady Knights' first run to cut into the Cardinals' lead. A Moran RBI-single drove in Bates to tie the game at 2-2.
- The teams exchanged a run in the third to remain tied at 3-3. The Lady Knights capitalized on a throwing error to take a 3-2 advantage before the Cardinals stole home to score in the bottom half of the inning to lock the game up at three each.
- The Lady Knights opened the fourth with a Moran double to right field. Freshman Kaylyn Shaughnessy (Barrie, Ontario / Bear Creek Secondary) entered the game as pinch runner for Moran. Two quick outs left the freshman stranded at second before Martinez dropped a single into left field to move her to third. deGuia lined a shot down the right-field line to drive in Martinez for a 4-3 lead and eventual victory.
- With a runner at third in the bottom of the fifth, the Cardinals' best chance was retired as Benz picked up her third strikeout. WJU was held hitless in the final two innings.
 
GAME NOTES  |  GAME TWO
- Moran went 2-for-2 with one RBI. Junior Alexa Archambeault (Horseheads, N.Y. / Horseheads) and Bates each collected a pair of hits.
- Benz (3-1) registered her second win of the day in relief work. The junior pitched six innings, striking out four batters. She allowed only one earned run on three hits.
- The Lady Knights outhit the Cardinals on a 9-7 advantage.
 
UP NEXT
Gannon returns to action Thursday against Lewis at 9 a.m. followed by Saint Anselm at 11 a.m. Two of GU's next three games will be played against Saint Anselm.