THE RUNDOWN
Game One Score: Gannon 4, at Indiana (Pa.) 3 (8 inn.)
Records: GU (25-11, 19-6 PSAC West) | IUP (15-22, 13-14 PSAC West)
Game One Box Score
Game Two Score: at Indiana (Pa.) 6, Gannon 4
Records: IUP (16-22, 14-14 PSAC West) | GU (25-12, 19-7 PSAC West)
Game Two Box Score
Location: Podbielski Field | Indiana, Pa.
The Short Story: Following four postponed doubleheaders, the Gannon softball team finally squared off with Indiana (Pa.) in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division play Monday at Podbielski Field. The Lady Knights opened the doubleheader with a 4-3 eight-inning victory before falling to the host Crimson Hawks, 6-4, in game two as IUP rallied with five unanswered runs. Following the split, the Lady Knights clinched the third seed in the PSAC Tournament.
 
GAME ONE SCORE: Gannon 4, at Indiana (Pa.) 3 (8 inn.)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED  |  GAME ONE
- Following back-to-back scoreless innings to open the game, Gannon scored the first run in the top of the third. Freshman Allie Salerno (Hamburg, N.Y. / Hamburg) led off the inning with a double to left. With senior Jess Rectenwald (Pittsburgh, Pa. / North Hills) taking a sacrifice bunt, Salerno advanced to third. Salerno scored the opening run on a wild pitch to give the Lady Knights a 1-0 lead.
- The Lady Knights took a 3-0 lead in the top of the fifth on a two-RBI single by junior Alyssa Bates (Greensburg, Pa. / Hempfield) through the left side.
- Indiana (Pa.) erased the Lady Knights' three-run lead in the bottom of the sixth, tying the game at 3-3.
- Following a scoreless seventh inning, the Lady Knights broke the knotted contest in the top of the eighth. Following a pop up to lead off the frame, senior Meghan Cunha (Geneva, Ohio / Edgewood) reached base on a double to center. An RBI-single up the middle by junior Rachel deGuia (Canal Fulton, Ohio / Northwest), drove in Cunha to put the Lady Knights ahead, 4-3.
- Consecutive groundouts to each side of second started the Crimson Hawks' eighth inning. Their chance of a rally was halted on a fly out to center with freshman Jackie Martinez (Phoenix, Ariz. / Xavier College Prep) making the catch to seal the 4-3 eight-inning win.
 
GAME NOTES  |  GAME ONE
- Rectenwald went 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored. Martinez and deGuia produced two hits each with deGuia picking up an RBI.
- Rectenwald, Cunha and Salerno each posted a double.
- Bates accounted for two RBIs on her single in the top of the fifth.
- Rectenwald (10-4) earned her third consecutive complete-game victory. She registered a season-high seven batters, surrendering three earned runs on six hits.
- The Lady Knights doubled up on the Crimson Hawks from the box, holding a 12-6 hitting adavantage.
 
GAME TWO SCORE: at Indiana (Pa.) 6, Gannon 4
 
HOW IT HAPPENED  |  GAME TWO
- Indiana (Pa.) captured an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on an RBI-single.
- Gannon tied the game up at one each in the second frame. After grounding into a 6-4-3 double play, junior Alexa Archambeault (Horseheads, N.Y. / Horseheads) and deGuia each picked up walks to put runners on base. The Lady Knights' run came on a RBI-single to left center by freshman Kaylyn Shaughnessy (Barrie, Ontario / Bear Creek Secondary) with the freshman extending the play to second, while Archambeault crossed home.
- The Lady Knights extended their lead to 4-1 in the top of the third. Rectenwald opened the inning with a single through the right side followed by a double by Martinez. A sacrifice fly by sophomore Jen Moran (West Mifflin, Pa. / Fox Chapel) broke the tie for a 2-1 GU lead. On the next at bat, Bates sent an RBI-single into the left-center gap to drive in Martinez. Archambeault hit an RBI-single with two outs for a 4-1 Lady Knights' lead.
- The Crimson Hawks pulled to within one of the Lady Knights, 4-3, in the bottom of the fourth on a two-run home run by Rachel Francis.
- Following back-to-back scoreless innings for the Lady Knights, the Crimson Hawks rallied for the win with three runs in the bottom of the sixth. Francis hit her second home run of the game, a solo shot to right center, to tie the game at 4-4. Later on in the inning, Amanda Parrish located the gap in right center with a two-RBI single for a Crimson Hawks' 6-4 lead and eventual victory.
 
GAME NOTES  |  GAME TWO
- Rectenwald and Bates each produced two hits. Bates, Moran, Shaughnessy and Archambeault tallied an RBI each in the loss. Martinez and Bates collected a double.
- The Crimson Hawks held an 11-8 hitting advantage.
- The two squads concluded the doubleheader with zero combined errors.
- Sophomore starter Olivia Gumbita (Latrobe, Pa. / Greater Latrobe) (12-4) pitched a complete game. She struck out six batters, allowing six earned runs on 11 hits.
 
UP NEXT
Gannon closes out the regular season with a 25-12 overall record and 19-7 mark in PSAC Western Division. With the third seed locked up by the Lady Knights, Tuesday's doubleheader against Pitt-Johnstown will not be played as scheduled. The Maroon and Gold will now prepare for its fifth consecutive appearance in the PSAC Tournament April 30 – May 2, in Quakertown, Pa. GU will face Eastern Division second-seed Bloomsburg in the opening round. Game times and additional information will be announced on gannonsports.com.