Rebecca Tatone vs. Holy Family
Mike Gallagher

Softball Bob Shreve, Assistant Director of Athletics Media Relations

Gannon Plays Edinboro, Clarion This Weekend with Senior Day Set for Saturday

GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS (15-9, 7-1 PSAC West) at EDINBORO FIGHTING SCOTS (3-18, 1-7 PSAC West)
DATE/TIME:  FrIday, April 22, 2022 I 2:30 p.m.
FACILITY/LOCATION:  Edinboro Softball Field I Edinboro, Pa.
LIVE STATS
 
CLARION GOLDEN EAGLES (2-25, 1-5 PSAC West) at GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS (15-9, 7-1 PSAC West)
SENIOR DAY
DATE/TIME:  Saturday, April 23, 2022 I 1:00 p.m.
FACILITY/LOCATION:  McConnell Family Stadium I Erie, Pa.
LIVE VIDEO
LIVE STATS
 
ERIE, Pa. – What began as a busy week for the Gannon softball team with four doubleheaders in five days was transformed into a pair of weekend twinbills, courtesy of the weather. The Golden Knights were scheduled to play at Walsh on Tuesday and at Cal in the completion of a suspended doubleheader on Wednesday.
 
Gannon still has a pair of key PSAC West doubleheaders this weekend, and the weather forecast is much more promising. On Friday, the Golden Knights are scheduled to play at Edinboro, followed by a Saturday doubleheader at McConnell Family Stadium against Clarion.
 
The Clarion games will be Senior Day, with six seniors to be honored in pre-game festivities. The six include seniors Megan Dietrick (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon) and Rebecca Tatone (Latrobe, Pa./Greater Latrobe), plus fifth-year seniors Nicole Bush (Painesville, Ohio/Lake Catholic), Kennedy DeMatteis (Boyers, Pa./Moniteau), Kristina DeMatteis (Boyers, Pa./Moniteau), and Lyndsey Lakatos (Allison Park, Pa./Shaler Area).
 
Thanks to some late-inning heroics, head coach Michelle Wiley's squad is now riding a four-game winning streak and shows a 15-9 overall record. More importantly, the Golden Knights are 7-1 in the PSAC West, with Gannon and Cal showing one loss apiece in conference play. The Golden Knights are third in the initial NCAA Atlantic Regional rankings which were released earlier in the week. Kutztown is first and Seton Hill second.
 
Gannon swept a doubleheader from Indiana(Pa.) last Friday. The game one win featured another impressive outing in the circle by Kennedy DeMatteis (Boyers, Pa./Moniteau), who threw a five-hitter. The Golden Knights broke a scoreless tie with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth inning on an RBI double by Jules Ryan (Collegeville, Pa./Spring Ford) and a run-scoring single by Lea Coffman (Lower Burrell, Pa./Burrell).
 
The nightcap was won in dramatic fashion. Katie Sidare (Rochester, N.Y./Victor Central) hit a two-run, walk-off home run to straightaway center field with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning for a 5-4 win. Sidare was named the PSAC West Athlete of the Week for her performance last week.
 
DeMatteis has won four straight games to improve to 7-5 with a 1.68 ERA. In 79 innings, the graduate student has allowed 60 hits and 41 walks with 66 strikeouts. She is now eighth in career victories with 47, along with seventh in career strikeouts (373) and sixth in career innings pitched (523.1).
 
DeMatteis is one-third of a trio of strong hurlers Wiley can call on. Rebecca Tatone (Latrobe, Pa./Greater Latrobe), like DeMatteis an All-PSAC West selection a year ago, has a 5-2 record with a 2.21 ERA. Tatone threw a three-hit shutout with a career-high nine strikeouts in her last start, a 2-0 win over Pitt-Johnstown. She came in in relief the next day against IUP and threw the final five innings, allowing just one run to pick up the win. Gabi Vasi (Tonawanda, N.Y./Kenmore East) is 3-2 with a 1.94 ERA.
 
Kristina DeMatteis (Boyers, Pa./Moniteau) has been the one constant in a lineup that has had different players step up with big hits in recent games. The graduate student was an All-PSAC West selection at catcher last year, but has seen most of her time at third base and shortstop this year. She is hitting .397 and also leads the team in doubles (6), home runs (5) and RBIs (18). She became the 16th Golden Knight with 100 career RBIs when she drove in a pair of runs against IUP. She has also moved into sixth place in career home runs with 25.
 
Nicole Bush (Painesville, Ohio/Lake Catholic), a redshirt senior, has boosted her average to .304 and has a team-high 10 stolen bases. Senior Megan Dietrick (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon) comes in at .296 and is tied with DeMatteis for the team lead in doubles with six.
 
In addition to the pair of weekend doubleheaders the Golden Knights are scheduled to pick up the Cal doubleheader that originally began on April 11 this coming Monday. The teams played into the third inning of the first game with Cal holding a 2-1 lead before rain forced the suspension of play. They will complete the first game and then play the second game beginning at 2:30 p.m. 
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Players Mentioned

Nicole Bush

#8 Nicole Bush

2B/SS/OF
5' 4"
Senior
R/R
Lea Coffman

#22 Lea Coffman

3B/C
5' 7"
Sophomore
R/R
Kennedy DeMatteis

#16 Kennedy DeMatteis

P
5' 7"
Senior
L/R
Kristina DeMatteis

#5 Kristina DeMatteis

3B/UTL
5' 7"
Senior
R/R
Megan Dietrick

#13 Megan Dietrick

OF
5' 5"
Junior
L/R
Lyndsey Lakatos

#9 Lyndsey Lakatos

1B
5' 8"
Senior
R/R
Rebecca Tatone

#2 Rebecca Tatone

P/1B
5' 8"
Junior
L/L
Jules Ryan

#28 Jules Ryan

SS
5' 8"
Freshman
R/R
Katie Sidare

#00 Katie Sidare

P
5' 10"
Freshman
R/R
Gabi Vasi

#27 Gabi Vasi

1B/P
5' 7"
Freshman
L/R

Players Mentioned

Nicole Bush

#8 Nicole Bush

5' 4"
Senior
R/R
2B/SS/OF
Lea Coffman

#22 Lea Coffman

5' 7"
Sophomore
R/R
3B/C
Kennedy DeMatteis

#16 Kennedy DeMatteis

5' 7"
Senior
L/R
P
Kristina DeMatteis

#5 Kristina DeMatteis

5' 7"
Senior
R/R
3B/UTL
Megan Dietrick

#13 Megan Dietrick

5' 5"
Junior
L/R
OF
Lyndsey Lakatos

#9 Lyndsey Lakatos

5' 8"
Senior
R/R
1B
Rebecca Tatone

#2 Rebecca Tatone

5' 8"
Junior
L/L
P/1B
Jules Ryan

#28 Jules Ryan

5' 8"
Freshman
R/R
SS
Katie Sidare

#00 Katie Sidare

5' 10"
Freshman
R/R
P
Gabi Vasi

#27 Gabi Vasi

5' 7"
Freshman
L/R
1B/P