Emma Smerick vs. WVWC
Bryce Dolak
Emma Smerick rounds second base after hitting a leadoff home run vs. West Virginia Wesleyan
10
Winner Gannon GAN 1-0
7
West Virginia Wesleyan WVWC 2-5
Winner
Gannon GAN
1-0
10
Final
7
West Virginia Wesleyan WVWC
2-5
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Gannon GAN 1 1 0 0 7 0 1 10 10 1
West Virginia Wesleyan WVWC 4 1 0 0 2 0 0 7 14 0

W: Lenda, Maggie (1-0) L: Brown, Kelsi (0-3)

3
Glenville State GSUSB25 4-3
4
Winner GANNON GANNON 2-0
Glenville State GSUSB25
4-3
3
Final
4
GANNON GANNON
2-0
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Glenville State GSUSB25 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 3 5 1
GANNON GANNON 2 0 1 0 1 0 X 4 4 1

W: Armstrong, Katie (1-0) L: Kylie Burdick (0-2) S: Spano, Josie (1)

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

Golden Knights Open Season with Wins over West Virginia Wesleyan, Glenville State

GLENVILLE, W.Va. – For the Gannon softball team the one-day wait was well worth it. The Golden Knights were originally scheduled to open the season on Saturday with two games in the Sue Morris Sports Complex Classic. On Sunday they debuted in 2025 with a pair of tight wins. They rallied for a 10-7 win over West Virginia Wesleyan in the opener with a seven-run fifth inning then came back to hold off host Glenville State 4-3 in the nightcap.

The 2-0 Golden Knights will two more times on Monday. The day begins with a 3:00 p.m. meeting against a Charleston (WV) team that was 51-8 a year ago and reached the College World Series. Along the way they defeated Gannon 4-0 in the Atlantic Region. Former Gannon assistant coach Taylor Welch is in her first season as head coach. At 5:30 p.m. Gannon ends the tournament against West Virginia State.

Game 1 – Gannon 10, West Virginia Wesleyan 7
The season got off to a great start with Emma Smerick (Ford City, Pa./Armstrong) hitting a leadoff home run. But the Bobcats answered with four runs in the bottom of the inning as they bunched six hits together against Maggie Lenda (East Aurora, N.Y./Iroquois). Gannon added a run in the second inning as Maddie Krause (North Royalton, Ohio/Holy Name) doubled to right field to drive in a run. West Virginia Wesleyan's Andie Dizon countered with a home run in the bottom of the frame to build the lead back to 5-2. Gannon turned the tables with a seven-run fifth inning, sending 11 batters to the plate. With one out Smerick opened the rally with a single. She would steal second and move to third on a wild pitch. Alaina Whipkey (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny) singled to drive in Smerick, and Natalia Mallozzi (Woodbridge, Ontario/Father Bressani Catholic) followed with a single. Abbey Girman (Bridgeville, Pa./South Fayette) walked to load the bases and Jenna Clontz (Kittanning, Pa./Armstrong) doubled down the left field line to tie the game at 5-5. Bella Atherton (Kittanning, Pa./Armstrong) followed with another two-run double to give Gannon a 7-5 lead. With two outs Krause's single up the middle plated another run and Ashley Fox (Cowansville, Pa./Karns City) capped the seven-run inning with an RBI double to make it 9-5. It was Gannon's seventh hit and third extra base hit of the inning. The Bobcats immediately cut the deficit in half with two runs in the bottom of the fifth but Lenda got out of further damage with a pair of groundouts. Clontz added an insurance run for the Golden Knights in the top of the seventh, reaching on an infield hit and eventually scoring on a wild pitch with two outs. Lenda pitched around a pair of hits in the seventh to pick up the complete-game win. Clontz and Krause each went 2-for-4 with 2 RBIs, while Smerick also had a pair of hits.

Game 2 – Gannon 4, Glenville State 3
Gannon grabbed a quick 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Emma Smerick (Ford City, Pa./Armstrong) opened with a walk and stole second. Two outs later Abbey Girman (Bridgeville, Pa./South Fayette) homered to center field for her first long ball of the season. Glenville State closed to 2-1 in the top of the third scoring with two outs, but Natalia Mallozzi (Woodbridge, Ontario/Father Bressani Catholic) countered with a double down the left field line with two outs. She plated Smerick, who led off the inning with a walk and stole second. Delaney Warnick drove Gannon starter Katie Armstrong (Lower Burrell, Pa./Burrell) from the game when she homered to lead off the top of the sixth inning, closing Gannon's lead to 4-3. Josie Spano (Hudson, Ohio/Western Reserve Academy) relieved and would pick up the save with innings in relief. She did not allow a hit and struck out one. Armstrong, meanwhile, picked up the win with five innings of work, allowing five hits and two walks with five strikeouts. Smerick scored a pair of runs while walking twice. She stole three bases.
 
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