ERIE, Pa. – Gannon and Mercyhurst battled to a draw on Thursday evening at McConnell Family Stadium in a showdown of crosstown rivals. The Knights took game one of the doubleheader by a 4-2 final, before dropping a 2-1 pitching dual in game two.
 
Following the split, Gannon remains at .500 with an 8-8 record this season. Mercyhurst is now 15-6 on the season.
 
Game 1
 
Gannon's Megan Dietrick (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon) drove in the first run of the game on an RBI single to left center in the bottom of the second inning, which scored Mackenzie Ming (Clarkston, Mich./Clarkston) from second. Ming got into scoring position by doubling down the left field line during the previous at-bat.
 
Mercyhurst grabbed a 2-1 advantage in the top of the third when Allison Dejidas smashed a two-run home run to right field. The Laker lead didn't last though, as Gannon plated two runs in the bottom of the third.
 
Sophia Buckberger (Winnipeg, Manitoba/St. Mary's Academy) tied the game at 2-2 when her sacrifice groundout allowed Nicole Bush (Painesville, Ohio/Lake Catholic) to round third and head for home following an error by the MU second baseman. The unearned run would become earned during the next at-bat when Kristina DeMatteis (Boyers, Pa./Moniteau) cleared the right field fence for her second home run in as many games. The home run was one of three hits that DeMatteis recorded in game one this afternoon.
 
Bush added an insurance run for Gannon in the bottom of the fourth when her infield single allowed Natalia Mallozzi (Woodbridge, Ontario/Father Bressani Catholic) to score from third. Gannon would maintain the 4-2 final score as the Lakers managed just two singles during the final three innings of the game.
 
Rebecca Tatone (Latrobe, Pa./Greater Latrobe) (2-2) picked up the win in the circle for Gannon by allowing just two runs on four hits during her seven innings of work. She struck out five during the victory.
 
Game 2
 
In game two, Mercyhurst plated two runs in the top of the second inning and held Gannon to just one run the remainder of the game to wrap up the victory.
 
Mercyhurst's second inning runs were courtesy of a sacrifice fly from Anna O'Geen and an RBI single from Marisa Cartellone.
 
Dietrick pulled the Knights to within a single run of the Lakers in the bottom of the fourth with an RBI single to center field that brought home DeMatteis.
 
Trailing by just a single run during the final three innings, the Knights had a runner at third in the bottom of the sixth and had a runner on second in the seventh, but Mercyhurst pitcher Morgan Hilty (6-3) stranded both runners to come away with the pitching decision for the Lakers.
 
Kennedy DeMatteis (Boyers, Pa./Moniteau) had a solid outing in the circle for the Knights, allowing just two runs (one earned) on four hits and striking out seven in the narrow defeat.
 
Lindsay Schmidt (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillian) led the Knights at the plate in game two by batting 2-for-3. Bush, DeMatteis and Dietrick also recorded singles for the GU.
 
Gannon will return to McConnell Family Stadium on Monday evening for a non-conference twinbill against Malone. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.