Katie Armstrong vs. SRU
Bryce Dolak
10
Winner Shippensburg SHIP-S 33-17
7
Gannon GAN-S 30-12
Winner
Shippensburg SHIP-S
33-17
10
Final
7
Gannon GAN-S
30-12
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Shippensburg SHIP-S 2 0 1 0 0 4 3 10 17 1
Gannon GAN-S 3 0 0 2 0 0 2 7 11 1

W: Alicia Ball (19-5) L: Lenda, Maggie (15-3) S: Maelynn Leber (1)

6
Winner Gannon GAN-S 31-12
4
Slippery Rock ROCK-S 25-27
Winner
Gannon GAN-S
31-12
6
Final
4
Slippery Rock ROCK-S
25-27
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Gannon GAN-S 0 2 0 2 1 1 0 6 9 0
Slippery Rock ROCK-S 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 4 7 1

W: Armstrong, Katie (6-2) L: Alexsa Hurd (10-11)

Game Recap: Softball | | Gannon rallies for 6-4 win over Slippery Rock in second game

Golden Knights Split Pair of Games to Remain Alive in PSAC Tournament

QUAKERSTOWN, Pa. – The Gannon softball team split a pair of games on Wednesday on the opening day of the 2024 PSAC Tournament at Veterans. The top seed out of the PSAC West, Gannon fell to Shippensburg 10-7 in an opening round game as the Raiders scored seven runs in the final two innings. The loss snapped an 11-game winning streak.

The Golden Knights had to take the field immediately afterwards in an elimination game and faced a familiar foe in Slippery Rock. Gannon fell behind early 4-2 but rallied for a 6-4 win.

Gannon improved to 31-12 with the split and returns to action at 12:30 p.m. tomorrow, this time playing California (Pa.), the number three seed in the Western Division. The Golden Knights learned earlier in the day that they are ranked eighth in the most recent NCAA Div. II Atlantic Region rankings.
The PSAC Tournament continues through Saturday when the 2024 champions will be crowned. Gannon is making its 13th straight appearance in the tournament.
2024 PSAC West Champs Softball
Gannon was presented with 2024 PSAC Western Division first place plaque.

Game 1 – E4 Shippensburg 10, W1 Gannon 7
The back-and-forth game saw Shippensburg score seven times in the final two innings to send Gannon into an elimination game. The contest also could hold some bearing in the regional rankings with Shippensburg coming in fourth in the Atlantic Region despite being the fourth seed in the Eastern Division. Shippensburg jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead on Morgan Lindsay's PSAC-leading 15th home run of the season. Gannon answered with three runs on four hits in the bottom of the inning, chasing Shippensburg starter Madalyn Dyer after just six batters. Natalia Mallozzi (Woodbridge, Ontario/Father Bressani Catholic) drove in the first run with a single down the left field line and Abbey Girman (Bridgeville, Pa./South Fayette) continued her hot hitting with a two-run double to left for a 3-2 lead. Alicia Ball came in and retired the next two batters to strand runners on second and third. The Raiders tied the game with a run in the top of the third but Gannon scored twice in the bottom of the fourth to make it 5-3, courtesy of Alaina Whipkey's (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny) two-run homer. The score remained that way until the top of the sixth when Shippensburg regained the lead with four runs. Three more Raiders' runs in the seventh gave Ship a 10-5 lead but the Golden Knights didn't go quietly. Freshman Bella Atherton (Kittanning, Pa./Armstrong) plated two runs with a two-out single and an error and hit by pitch loaded the bases. The game would end on a called third strike. Gannon also left the bases loaded in the second inning. The Golden Knights had 11 hits but Shippensburg pounded out 17 hits while stopping a 14-game winning streak for Maggie Lenda (East Aurora, N.Y./Iroquois). Named the PSAC West Pitcher of the Year on Tuesday, Lenda dropped to 15-3 with the loss. Whipkey, Atherton, Jules Ryan (Collegeville, Pa./Spring Ford) and Natalia Mallozzi (Woodbridge, Ontario/Father Bressani Catholic) all had two hits with Whipkey, Atherton and Abbey Girman (Bridgeville, Pa./South Fayette) driving in two runs.

Game 2 – W1 Gannon 6, W4 Slippery Rock 4
Trailing 4-2 after three innings, freshman pitcher Katie Armstrong (Lower Burrell, Pa./Burrell) settled in to hold The Rock scoreless the final four innings and Alaina Whipkey (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny) hit her second home run of the tournament, this one in the fifth inning, to give Gannon the lead for good. Gannon got on the board with two runs in the top of the second inning for a 2-1 lead on freshman Jenna Clontz' (Kittanning, Pa./Armstrong) two-run single. SRU regained the lead at 3-2 with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second. Armstrong entered in the bottom of the third and gave up a solo homer to the second batter she faced to make it 4-2. The next batter singled but that would be the last hit for Slippery Rock. She allowed a walk in the fourth but proceeded to retire the final ten batters she faced. The Golden Knights tied the game at 4-4 in the top of the fourth. Gabi Vasi (Tonawanda, N.Y./Kenmore East), who had doubled, scored on an error and Clontz' sacrifice fly tied the game. Whipkey hit her team-leading eighth home run of the season to center field in the fifth for a 5-4 lead. Gannon added an insurance run in the sixth on Mia Ryan's (Zelienople, Pa./Seneca Valley) RBI double. It was Ryan's first RBI since March 28. Clontz drove in three runs in the game while Vasi and Abbey Girman (Bridgeville, Pa./South Fayette) each had two hits.
 
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