SB - Senior Day vs UPJ
3
Pitt-Johnstown UPJ-S 6-19, 3-8 PSACW
6
Winner Gannon GUSOFT25 19-12, 10-5 PSACW
Pitt-Johnstown UPJ-S
6-19, 3-8 PSACW
3
Final
6
Gannon GUSOFT25
19-12, 10-5 PSACW
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Pitt-Johnstown UPJ-S 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 3 9 0
Gannon GUSOFT25 3 1 0 2 0 0 X 6 10 1

W: Lenda, Maggie (6-6) L: M. Smith (4-9)

0
Pitt-Johnstown UPJ-S 6-20, 3-9 PSAC W
9
Winner Gannon GUSOFT25 20-12, 11-5 PSAC W
Pitt-Johnstown UPJ-S
6-20, 3-9 PSAC W
0
Final
9
Gannon GUSOFT25
20-12, 11-5 PSAC W
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 R H E
Pitt-Johnstown UPJ-S 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
Gannon GUSOFT25 0 0 4 3 2 9 11 0

W: Armstrong, Katie (12-3) L: M. Yonkin (2-10)

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

Golden Knights Celebrate Senior Day with Sweep of Pitt-Johnstown

Gannon runs win streak to eight games

ERIE, Pa. – The Gannon softball team celebrated Senior Day with a sweep of Pitt-Johnstown on Saturday afternoon at McConnell Family Stadium. However, it was a sophomore who stole the show as sophomore Emma Smerick (Ford City, Pa./Armstrong) hit home runs in both contests.

The Golden Knights won game one 6-3 and came back with a 9-0 win in five innings in the nightcap. Gannon has now won eight straight games while improving to 20-12 overall and 11-5 in the PSAC West. UPJ dropped to 6-20 and 3-9, respectively.

Prior to the game five seniors were recognized – Brenna Cassidy (Dexter, Mich./Dexter), Abbey Girman (Bridgeville, Pa./South Fayette), Maggie Lenda (East Aurora, N.Y./Iroquois), Hannah Mass (Tarentum, Pa./Deer Lakes) and Hannah Richardson (Shelby Township, Mich./Romeo) – along with fifth-year grad students Maddie Krause (North Royalton, Ohio/Holy Name) and Natalia Mallozzi (Woodbridge, Ontario/Father Bressani Catholic).

Smerick then went out and made sure the seniors had an enjoyable day. The outfielder fell a triple shy of the cycle with three hits in four at bats in the first game, along with a stolen base to tie the season record for stolen bases with 29.

In the nightcap she had just one hit, but that was a monster two-run home run to right field with two outs in the sixth to bring an end to the game.   

The Golden Knights have little time to celebrate with Indiana (Pa.) visiting McConnell Family Stadium on Sunday. The doubleheader gets underway at 1:00 p.m. IUP comes in with a 21-9 record after sweeping Edinboro on Saturday. The Crimson Hawks are a step ahead of Gannon in the Western Division standings at 12-4.

Game 1 – Gannon 6, Pitt-Johnstown 3
Emma Smerick (Ford City, Pa./Armstrong) fell a triple shy of the cycle and Maggie Lenda (East Aurora, N.Y./Iroquois) struck out 12 batters, one shy of her career high, to pace the Golden Knights. Smerick opened the bottom of the first with a double and scored on Sadie Carroll's (North Canton, Ohio/North Canton Hoover) single to center. Two more runs came across later in the inning on a single up the middle by Lindsay Breuer (Mason, Ohio/Mason).

Gannon's lead grew to 4-0 in the second as Natalia Mallozzi (Woodbridge, Ontario/Father Bressani Catholic) drove in Smerick with a single. Smerick had reached on a bunt single and stole second. It was her 29th stolen base of the season, tying the season record.

After a one-two-three top of the first Lenda pitched around trouble every inning until the seventh. The Mountain Cats scored an unearned run in the fourth to make it 4-1 but Gannon struck back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning for a 6-1 lead. Smerick led off the inning with her fourth home run of the season. Sadie Carroll (North Canton, Ohio/North Canton Hoover) followed with a double and scored on Mallozzi's second RBI single of the game.

UPJ pushed across two runs in the sixth to close to 6-3 but Lenda ended the game with a one-two-three seventh. The final out was her 12th strikeout of the game. The senior scattered nine hits and walked three while evening her record at 6-6.

Smerick led Gannon's 10-hit attack with a 3-for-4 effort and an RBI. Mallozzi was 2-for-3 with 2 RBIs and Carroll was 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Game 2 – Gannon 9, Pitt-Johnstown 0 (5 innings)
After failing to score the first two innings Gannon hit around in the third inning, scoring four times on five hits. Sadie Carroll (North Canton, Ohio/North Canton Hoover) opened the scoring with an RBI single and Jenna Clontz (Kittanning, Pa./Armstrong) and Destiny Gracia followed with RBI base hits for three straight hits. Abbey Girman (Bridgeville, Pa./South Fayette) capped the inning with a two-out double.

Eight batters went to the plate in the fourth inning as Gannon scored three more runs.  Clontz accounted for the first two runs with a double to right center and she came around to score on Garcia's third hit of the game.

UPJ retired the first two batters in the fifth inning before Mia Ryan (Zelienople, Pa./Seneca Valley) walked. Emma Smerick (Ford City, Pa./Armstrong) then brought an emphatic end to the game with a line drive that was Aaron Judge-esque off the bat.  It was her fifth homer of the season and second of the day.

Clontz ended the game going 2-for-3 with 3 RBIs. Garcia, a freshman who just recently joined the lineup at designated hitter, was a perfect 3-for-3 with 2 RBIs.

While Gannon was pounding out 11 hits sophomore Katie Armstrong (Lower Burrell, Pa./Burrell) was limiting UPJ to a lone single in the second inning. She walked two and struck out seven. Armstrong is now 12-3 and has won four straight games.  
 
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