FAIRMONT, W. Va. – In its first action since returning from the season-opening 10-game trip to Florida, the Gannon University softball team faced a pair Fairmont State pitchers who were throwing well—and could not get a run across home plate against them, dropping both games of Friday's doubleheader, 4-0 and 2-0. The games were originally scheduled to be played on Saturday afternoon but were moved up a day due to forecasted inclement weather.
 
Gannon sophomore outfielder Katie Sidare (Rochester, N.Y./Victor Central) saw the ball well at the plate all day, tallying four hits between both games (including three of the team's four total hits in game two for the first multi-hit game of her career.) Sophia Buckberger (Winnipeg, Manitoba/St. Mary's Academy) added the team's only other hit as well as a stolen base in game two but the Knights could not find the run support for starter Gabi Vasi (Tonawanda, N.Y./Kenmore East), who went six innings, struck out three, and surrendered two earned runs.
 
Gannon's overall record moves to 5-7 overall, with Fairmont State improving to 4-6. The two teams had faced each other for a single game in Florida back on Feb. 28, with the Knights claiming a 3-2 victory. The Fairmont starting pitcher in that game, Caitlyn Kassay, rebounded in the first game of Friday's doubleheader by throwing a complete-game three-hitter, striking out five in 86 pitches. The Fighting Falcons' starter in game two, Shelby Reed, won her second game of the season after seven scoreless innings, four hits, and nine strikeouts.
 
Gannon returns home to McConnell Family Stadium for its next doubleheader of the 2022 season, scheduled for Friday, March 18 beginning at 3:00 p.m.
 

GAME ONE: FAIRMONT STATE 4, GANNON 0
 
A pitcher's duel broke out between Gannon's Kennedy DeMatteis (Boyers, Pa./Moniteau), making her sixth start of the 2022 season, and Fairmont's Kassay, with zeroes on the scoreboard through four complete innings. Fairmont three-hole hitter Emily Riggs broke the scoreless tie and led off the top of the fifth with a solo homer to give the Falcons the lead, and the nightmarish inning continued with a walk and two hit batters to load the bases. A Brooke Schmitt two-run single brought home two more Falcons, and a sacrifice fly later in the inning created the 4-0 lead that would be the eventual final score. Rebecca Tatone (Latrobe, Pa./Greater Latrobe) entered to pitch in the top of the sixth and notched three strikeouts to retire the side, while Kristina DeMatteis (Boyers, Pa./Moniteau) and Lily Gfeller (Livonia, N.Y./Livonia)--along with Sidare--all hit safely with singles to total Gannon's three hits in the game.
 

GAME TWO: FAIRMONT STATE 2, GANNON 0
 
Offense was again tough to come by in game two, with Gannon mustering four hits (three from Katie Sidare (Rochester, N.Y./Victor Central)) while Fairmont State only managed five. The Falcons were able to get their hits with runners in scoring position, though, including a Riggs RBI single through the left side in the first inning to get the Falcons on the board early.
 
The Knights' best chance to tie the game came in the top of the sixth inning, when Sophia Buckberger (Winnipeg, Manitoba/St. Mary's Academy) reached on a bunt single and stole second base to get into scoring position. A sacrifice bunt by Nicole Bush (Painesville, Ohio/Lake Catholic) got her over to third base, but the clutch hit never came, as Fairmont starter Shelby Reed induced a strikeout and a pop-out to escape the inning. Sidare smashed a double to right-center field in the top of the seventh to try to jumpstart the offense once again, but Reed retired the final two batters of the game with a strikeout and a fly-out to finalize the 2-0 win.