Bella Atherton in NCAAs
Bryce Dolak
3
Winner Gannon GAN-SB 32-14
1
Bloomsburg BLOOM(~1 33-24
Winner
Gannon GAN-SB
32-14
3
Final
1
Bloomsburg BLOOM(~1
33-24
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Gannon GAN-SB 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 3 7 1
Bloomsburg BLOOM(~1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 10 0

W: Lenda, Maggie (16-3) L: C. Sowers (23-8) S: Vasi, Gabi (2)

0
Gannon GAN-SB 32-15
4
Winner Charleston UCWVSB 47-5
Gannon GAN-SB
32-15
0
Final
4
Charleston UCWVSB
47-5
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Gannon GAN-SB 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0
Charleston UCWVSB 0 2 1 0 1 0 X 4 9 0

W: Chloe Elliott (10-0) L: Armstrong, Katie (6-5)

Game Recap: Softball | | Bob Shreve, Assistant Director of Athletics Media Relations

Golden Knights Split Pair of Games on Second Day of Atlantic 2 Regional

Gannon finishes the year at 32-15

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The Gannon softball team split a pair of games on Friday while competing in the NCAA Div. II Atlantic 2 Regional hosted by Charleston (WV). The seventh-seeded Golden Knights used three home runs and strong pitching by Maggie Lenda (East Aurora, N.Y./Iroquois) and Gabi Vasi (Tonawanda, N.Y./Kenmore East) for a 3-1 win over No. 6 Bloomsburg in an elimination game.

The Golden Knights found themselves eliminated in the second game that followed, dropping a 4-0 decision to No. 3 Charleston. Gannon finished the year at 32-15, the most wins since the 2018 team also won 32 games. The 32 wins are the most under head coach Michelle Wiley, who concluded her sixth season at the helm. She guided Gannon to a 30-16 finish in her first season in 2019.  

Game 1 – No. 7 Gannon 3, No. 6 Bloomsburg 1
Neither team threatened over the first two innings, but Gannon struck for the first run of the game when freshman catcher Bella Atherton (Kittanning, Pa./Armstrong) drove a pitch over the left field fence. It was her second home run of the season.
 
Maggie Lenda
Maggie Lenda
Lenda dodged a huge threat in the bottom of the third. Bloomsburg loaded the bases with one out on two singles and an error. With the infield in Lenda induced a grounder to short for an out at home. A ground out to third inning the inning.

Gannon added its second run on an opposite-field home run by Abbey Girman (Bridgeville, Pa./South Fayette) to start the fifth. It was her sixth home run of the season, all coming in the last 15 games. Jenna Clontz (Kittanning, Pa./Armstrong) followed with a single and moved up to second on a sacrifice but Bloomsburg's Callie Sowers retired the next two Golden Knights.

Bloomsburg finally broke through in the bottom of the fifth. Three straight singles plated a run but a double play ended the inning leaving the score at 2-1.
Gannon went deep for a third time to add an insurance run in the top of the seventh. With one out freshman Clontz blasted her eighth home run of the season for a 3-1 lead. The home run tied Clontz for the team leads and signaled the end for Sowers. Mia Ryan (Zelienople, Pa./Seneca Valley) and Atherton followed with singles to put runners on first and second but reliever Lyndsey Reinoehl retired the next two batters.

Gabi Vasi (Tonawanda, N.Y./Kenmore East) relieved Lenda to start the bottom of the sixth and retired the Huskies in order. The senior ran into trouble in the bottom of the seventh after a little blooper fell in between the circle and second base to start the inning.

With two outs a single put runners on second and third. The count reached 3-2 before Taylor Kranzley's grounder was fielded by Alaina Whipkey (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny), who stepped on second for the game-ending forceout.

Atherton and Clontz each finished 2-for-3 at the plate with an RBI. Lenda improved to 16-3 while going the first five innings. The PSAC West Pitcher of the Year allowed just one run on eights without a walk and struck out four. Vasi tossed the final two innings for her second save.

Game 2 – No. 3 Charleston (WV) 4, No. 7 Gannon 0
The Golden Knights managed just four hits against Chloe Elliott, who remained perfect at 10-0. At the plate the Golden Eagles used the formula Gannon used in the first game to eliminate the Golden Knights. Charleston, now 47-5, hit three solo home runs.

Freshman Katie Armstrong (Lower Burrell, Pa./Burrell) started for the Golden Knights but was relieved after allowing back-to-back home runs with two outs in the second. Gabi Vasi (Tonawanda, N.Y./Kenmore East) finished up the game and allowed a solo home run in the third and another run in the fifth.

Gannon had just three runners get into scoring position. Vasi hit a one-out double in the second but was stranded at second. Back-to-back singles by freshmen Bella Atherton (Kittanning, Pa./Armstrong) and Emma Smerick (Ford City, Pa./Armstrong) put runners on first and second with one out but Elliott retired the next two batters.  In the sixth Alaina Whipkey (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny) hit a one-out double but a pair of foul outs ended the inning.   
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