2023 Softball Team Picture
Bryce Dolak

Softball Bob Shreve, Assistant Director of Athletics Media Relations

Gannon to Face Shippensburg in First Round of PSAC Tournament

Golden Knights in PSAC Tournament for 12th straight year

No. 5W GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS (18-26, 17-15 PSAC West) vs. No. 4E SHIPPENSBURG RAIDERS (27-18, 19-13)
2023 PSAC SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
DATE/TIME:  Wednesday, May 3, 2023 I 10:00 a.m.
FACILITY/LOCATION:  Veterans Park I Quakertown, Pa.
PSAC CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL
LIVE VIDEO
LIVE STATS
 
TICKETS
Ticketleap will be used to sell all tickets. No cash will be accepted. No refunds for rainouts. Link will be provided on tournament webpage & social media outlets.
Day Pass $15 / Children 12 under Free / Free for PSAC Students / PSAC passes honored / No complimentary tickets
 
THE 2023 PSAC TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Wednesday, May 3
Game 1 – E4 Shippensburg (27-18, 19-13) vs. W5 GANNON (18-26, 17-15) – 10:00 a.m.
Game 2 – W4 California (Pa.) (16-19, 8-8) vs. E5 Bloomsburg (21-31, 15-17) – 10:00 a.m.
Game 3 – E2 East Stroudsburg (36-14, 24-8) vs. W3 Slippery Rock (28-22, 19-13)– 12:30 p.m.
Game 4 -- W2 Mercyhurst (31-19, 21-11) vs. E3 Kutztown (28-22, 22-10) – 12:30 p.m.
Game 5 -- W1 Seton Hill (29-15, 22-8) vs. Game 1 winner – 3:00 p.m.
Game 6 -- E1 West Chester (36-15, 24-6) vs. Game 2 winner – 3:00 p.m.
Game 7 -- Game 2 loser vs. Game 5 loser (Loser eliminated) – 5:30 p.m.
Game 8 -- Game 1 loser vs. Game 6 loser (Loser eliminated) – 5:30 p.m.
Thursday, May 4
Game 9 -- Game 3 winner vs. Game 5 winner – 10:00 a.m.
Game 10 -- Game 4 winner vs. Game 6 winner – 10:00 a.m.
Game 11 -- Game 3 loser vs. Game 7 winner (Loser eliminated) – 12:30 p.m.
Game 12 -- Game 4 loser vs. Game 8 winner (Loser eliminated) – 12:30 p.m.
Game 13 -- Game 10 loser vs. Game 11 winner (Loser eliminated) – 3:00 p.m.
Game 14 -- Game 9 loser vs. Game 12 winner (Loser eliminated) – 3:00 p.m.
Friday, May 5
Game 15 -- Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner – 10:00 a.m.
Game 16 -- Game 13 winner vs. Game 14 winner (Loser Eliminated) – 12:30 p.m.
Game 17 -- Game 15 loser vs. Game 16 winner (Loser Eliminated) -- 3:00 p.m.  
Saturday, May 6 – Championship Round
Game 18: Game 15 winner vs. Game 17 winner – 11:00 a.m.
Game 19: Played only if Game 17 winner wins Game 18 – 1:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 7
If needed due to weather complications
 

GANNON IN THE PSAC SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT
After failing to make the PSAC Tournament the first two years as a member of the conference (2009 and 2010, Gannon is now making its 12th straight appearance in the conference championships. The Golden Knights did not win their first two years in the tournament but have enjoyed great success since then. In 2015 Gannon reached the PSAC championship game before dropping a 3-2 decision to Cal. They finally broke through as PSAC champions in 2018, winning all four of their games while outscoring the four opponents 22-11. They reached the championship game again in 2019, but dropped a 6-4 decision to Lock Haven. There was no 2020 PSAC Tournament due to COVID-19, and the following year's tournament featured a different format. Gannon won a best-of-3 quarterfinal series with California (Pa.), two games to none, but would fall to Seton Hill in three games in the semifinals.
 
2011                      
vs. Kutztown -- L, 1-9
vs. Bloomsburg -- L, 0-4         
2012                      
vs. Bloomsburg – L, 1-7 (9 innings)
vs. Mercyhurst -- L, 5-6
2013                      
vs. Bloomsburg -- L, 1-7
vs. Lock Haven -- W, 7-3
vs. Mercyhurst -- W, 14-2 (5 innings)
vs. California (Pa.) -- L, 1-4
2014                      
vs. Bloomsburg -- L, 2-5
vs. Mansfield – W, 3-2 (9 innings)
vs. West Chester -- L, 1-2
2015                      
vs. Bloomsburg -- W, 2-0
vs. California (Pa.) -- W, 5-4
vs. West Chester -- W, 8-4
vs. California (Pa.) -- L, 5-8
vs. California (Pa.) -- L, 2-3 (Championship Game)
2016                      
vs. West Chester -- W, 3-1
vs. Bloomsburg -- L, 0-3
vs. Kutztown -- L, 5-10
2017                      
vs. Shippensburg -- W, 4-2
vs. Bloomsburg -- L, 3-7 (9 innings)
vs. Lock Haven -- L, 4-8         
2018                      
vs. Bloomsburg -- W, 4-3
vs. West Chester -- W, 6-2
vs. Lock Haven -- W, 7-3         
vs. West Chester -- W, 5-3 (PSAC Champion)  
2019                      
vs. Mansfield -- W, 11-1 (5 innings)
vs. Lock Haven -- L, 2-4
vs. Seton Hill -- W, 5-4
vs. West Chester -- W, 8-7
vs. Kutztown -- W, 3-1
vs. Lock Haven -- W, 7-5
vs. Lock Haven -- L, 4-6 (Championship Game)     
2021   
CALIFORNIA (PA) -- W, 2-1 (Quarterfinals, best of three)
CALIFORNIA (PA) – W, 9-4                                   
at Seton Hill -- W, 8-6 (Semifinals, best of three)
at Seton Hill -- L, 1-6
at Seton Hill -- L, 1-4 
2022  
vs. East Stroudsburg – L, 2-4
vs. California (Pa.) – W, 3-2
vs. Shippensburg – L, 5-6 (8 inn.)         

 
ERIE, Pa. – The Gannon softball team will make its 12th straight appearance in the PSAC Tournament, with the Golden Knights getting the double-elimination tournament underway on Wednesday, May 3. They are seeded fifth out of the Western Division and will face Shippensburg, the fourth seed out of the Eastern Division, at 10 a.m. The Raiders eliminated Gannon in last year's tournament with a 6-5 win in eight innings.
 
The PSAC Tournament will once again be held at Veterans Park in Quarkertown, Pa. Play begins on Wednesday and will continue through Saturday, May 6. A total of eight games will be played on two fields on Wednesday, with six more games slated for Thursday on two fields.
 
Gannon enters with a deceiving 18-26 record after an extremely difficult southern trip that saw the Golden Knights lose 11 of 12 games. A young team faced plenty of adversity after returning north but survived an arduous final week to claim the fifth playoff spot in the Western Division.
 
Shippensburg (27-18, 19-13) secured the fourth seed out of the Eastern Division followed 5-2 and 12-7 losses to Kutztown on Monday. The Raiders had won seven straight games but come into the PSAC Tournament with three losses in their last four games.
 
With numerous weather postponements head coach Michelle Wiley's squad was forced to play four doubleheaders in four days and five in a span of seven days to conclude the regular season. The playoff picture was a bit blurry after losing twice to California (Pa.) last Monday but two days later the Golden Knights traveled to Cal and swept the Vulcans by scores of 4-0 and 13-3 in five innings. They were playing for their fourth time in four days.
 
Gannon comes in at 17-15 in PSAC West action and edged Indiana (Pa.) for the fifth spot in the Western Division. The Crimson Hawks also finished at 17-15 but Gannon won three of four games with IUP this year.
 
THREE GOLDEN KNIGHTS EARN ALL-PSAC WEST HONORS
Gannon's had three players named to the All-PSAC teams that were announced on Tuesday. All three performers are first time selections. Sophomore outfielder Abbey Girman (Bridgeville, Pa./South Fayette) earned a spot in the first team, while junior second baseman Jules Ryan (Collegeville, Pa./Spring Ford) and sophomore outfielder Natalia Mallozzi (Woodbridge, Ontario/Father Bressani Catholic) were accorded second-team accolades.
 
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS
After a slow start the Gannon bats have come alive. Leading the way is sophomore Abbey Girman (Bridgeville, Pa./South Fayette). The left fielder leads the team in batting average (.372), doubles (10), home runs (12), RBIs (41), and slugging percentage (.769). The 12 home runs are tied for second in a season. Kaity Stocker holds the season record with 14.
 
Redshirt sophomore Natalia Mallozzi (Woodbridge, Ontario/Father Bressani Catholic) has also become a staple in the middle of the lineup with a .346 average with eight doubles, a triple and two home runs.
 
Jules Ryan (Collegeville, Pa./Spring Ford) missed seven games with an injury at the start of conference action but is now the team's third-leading hitter at .331. The junior second baseman is tied for second on the team with five home runs and is second with 25 RBIs.
 
The fastest-rising hitter currently is Andrea Watson (Venus, Pa./Cranberry Area). The senior center fielder has raised her batting average from .247 to .319 over the last eight games while going 16-for-27 over that period. She has eight doubles and a team-high three triples.
 
Freshman Ashley Fox (Cowansville, Pa./Karns City) is the lone player to start all 44 games. Fox has taken over at shortstop and is batting .310 with a team-leading 11 stolen bases and 22 RBIs, good for third on the team.
 
Josie Spano (Hudson, Ohio/Western Reserve Academy) is another freshman who has enjoyed a strong first season. She has slotted in as the designated player lately and also seen plenty of duty in the circle. Spano is hitting .279 with eight doubles and five home runs, the latter figure tied for second on the team, along with 17 RBIs. She has a deceiving 2-7 record with a 4.58 ERA as a pitcher in 62.2 innings.
 
Maggie Lenda (East Aurora, N.Y./Iroquois) has emerged as Gannon's top hurler. The sophomore picked up wins in both of Wednesday's wins at California (Pa.), throwing a three-hit shutout in the opener then coming back to pick up the win in relief in the nightcap. Lenda has a 10-10 record with a 3.61 ERA. In 132.1 innings she has allowed 136 hits and 53 walks with 109 strikeouts.
 
Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Abbey Girman

#23 Abbey Girman

OF
5' 6"
Sophomore
L/R
Maggie Lenda

#19 Maggie Lenda

P
5' 10"
Sophomore
R/R
Natalia Mallozzi

#1 Natalia Mallozzi

OF/1B
6' 0"
Redshirt Sophomore
L/R
Jules Ryan

#28 Jules Ryan

2B/SS
5' 8"
Junior
R/R
Andrea Watson

#21 Andrea Watson

P/OF
5' 4"
Senior
L/R
Ashley Fox

#5 Ashley Fox

OF/SS/2B
5' 4"
Freshman
R/R
Josie Spano

#13 Josie Spano

1B/P
5' 8"
Freshman
R/R

Players Mentioned

Abbey Girman

#23 Abbey Girman

5' 6"
Sophomore
L/R
OF
Maggie Lenda

#19 Maggie Lenda

5' 10"
Sophomore
R/R
P
Natalia Mallozzi

#1 Natalia Mallozzi

6' 0"
Redshirt Sophomore
L/R
OF/1B
Jules Ryan

#28 Jules Ryan

5' 8"
Junior
R/R
2B/SS
Andrea Watson

#21 Andrea Watson

5' 4"
Senior
L/R
P/OF
Ashley Fox

#5 Ashley Fox

5' 4"
Freshman
R/R
OF/SS/2B
Josie Spano

#13 Josie Spano

5' 8"
Freshman
R/R
1B/P