ERIE, Pa. – The Gannon University softball team celebrated its Senior Day by sweeping a pair of wild games from Clarion University, 8-5 and 9-7, including a walk-off three-run home run from sophomore Jules Ryan (Collegeville, Pa./Spring Ford) to seal the game two win. The Golden Knights improve their record to 17-11 overall and 9-3 in PSAC West play, while Clarion falls to 2-31 overall and 1-9 in conference play.
 
The Golden Eagles, playing much harder than their record would suggest, battled all day and were only outdone by the Gannon offense—with the bats coming alive to score 17 runs on the day, equaling the team's run total for the last 7 games combined. Seniors Kristina DeMatteis (Boyers, Pa./Moniteau) and Megan Dietrick (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon) both had two hits (including a double) in game one, while Katie Sidare (Rochester, N.Y./Victor Central) (2-for-3 , two RBIs) and Natalia Mallozzi (Woodbridge, Ontario/Father Bressani Catholic) (2-for-2, three RBIs) acting as run producers.
 
Game two was defined by the bookends of the Gannon lineup, with leadoff batter Jules Ryan (Collegeville, Pa./Spring Ford) going 3-for-5 with two runs scored and the aforementioned walk-off home run to end the game. Starting pitcher Gabi Vasi (Tonawanda, N.Y./Kenmore East), batting ninth, also stroked three hits in the game—including a critical bases-clearing double in the bottom of the fifth inning to help her own cause and give the Knights a 6-3 lead.
 
Another Gannon senior, Rebecca Tatone (Latrobe, Pa./Greater Latrobe) picked up her third save of the season in game one and her sixth win of 2022 in game two, pitching five innings total between both games, surrendering only one run, and striking out six.
 
Tatone, Dietrick, and Kristina DeMatteis (Boyers, Pa./Moniteau) were honored in a pre-game ceremony (along with Kennedy DeMatteis (Boyers, Pa./Moniteau), Lyndsey Lakatos (Allison Park, Pa./Shaler Area), and Nicole Bush (Painesville, Ohio/Lake Catholic)) for their dedication and service to the Gannon Softball program.
 
Next up the for Golden Knights is the resumption of a doubleheader with Cal U this coming Monday, April 25 that was originally suspended due to severe weather. Game one will resume in the top of the third with Gannon trailing 2-1.
 
GAME ONE: GANNON 8, CLARION 5
 Gannon had been waiting for the team's bats to heat up, and they did so in 65-plus degree weather at McConnell Family Stadium on Saturday. The Knights took control of the game in the bottom of the second, with Katie Sidare (Rochester, N.Y./Victor Central) leading off the frame with a single to right. Starting pitcher Kennedy DeMatteis (Boyers, Pa./Moniteau) reached on a fielder's choice and got to second base on a Dietrick grounder that was mishandled by the Clarion second baseman. Mallozzi stepped in and cranked a double deep to left center, driving in both runners to take a 2-1 lead. Two batters later, freshman Abbey Girman (Bridgeville, Pa./South Fayette) ripped a single to center to drive in Mallozzi for the 3-1 advantage.

The Knights kept it going in the third inning, with a Kristina DeMatteis (Boyers, Pa./Moniteau) double to right field igniting a spark. Kristina stole third base, and her sister Kennedy singled through the right side to bring her home and make it 4-1. Olivia Evans (Horseheads, New York/Horseheads Senior High), pinch-running for Kennedy, would eventually score on Mallozzi single up the middle for a 5-1 lead.
 
Clarion scored three runs in the top of the fourth inning to close within a run, 5-4, but Gannon responded in the bottom half of the inning to put the game away. A pair of Bush and Kristina DeMatteis (Boyers, Pa./Moniteau) singles (and subsequent stolen bases) put runners on second and third. Sidare sent a screamer up the middle to drive in both runners to put Gannon up 7-4, and yet another insurance run came with a Dietrick double that scored Sidare. Clarion rallied in the seventh and scored a run to make it three-run game, 8-5, but Tatone got pinch-hitter Desi Allen to fly out to left to end the game.
 
GAME TWO: GANNON 9, CLARION 7
 The game seemed like a pitcher's paradise through a scoreless first four innings of the game, but the action started in the top of the fifth. As they did in game one, Clarion took the lead after a pair of singles and a double and took a 2-0 lead into the bottom half. Gannon kicked off the inning with a trio of singles from Ryan, Bush, and Kristina DeMatteis (Boyers, Pa./Moniteau) to load the bases and tied the game 2-2 on back-to-back fielder's choice situations in the infield where Clarion tried to go home for the force out but were beaten by the Gannon runners.
 
The Knights weren't done; Girman again came through with a clutch hit to drive in DeMatteis, and Vasi's critical three-run double to right field made it a 6-2 game.
 
Clarion was not done either, with the hit parade showing up in the top half of the sixth inning. A walk, seven singles, and two sacrifice flies in the inning for the Golden Eagles were good enough to plate five runs, take a 7-6 lead, and chase starter Vasi from the game. Yet Gannon saved the best for last, with pinch-hitter Lea Coffman (Lower Burrell, Pa./Burrell) leading off the bottom of the seventh with a double to right-center that energized the team. Vasi re-entered the game to hit and singled to center, putting runners on the corners with one out for Ryan. There was no need to even think about how to tie the game, as Ryan absolutely crushed a ball over the fence in centerfield for a three-run dinger to send the Gannon fans home happy with the 9-7 win.