ERIE, Pa. (March 24, 2015) - The Edinboro softball team saw its six-game winning streak come to an end on Tuesday afternoon. The Fighting Scots opened PSAC play up at Gannon in a doubleheader and lost the pair of games by scores of 12-4 (five innings) and 3-1. The Scots record falls to 8-4 on the season and 0-2 in the PSAC West while the Lady Knights improve to 8-5 and 2-0 in conference.

GAME ONE - Gannon 12, Edinboro 4 (Five Innings)
The Edinboro softball team led early but could not maintain the quick start in the first game at Gannon. The Fighting Scots lost 12-4 after jumping out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning. The opening loss snapped a six-game winning streak for the Scots.

Edinboro got on the board in a big way early. Taylor Payne stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the first inning. Payne hit the first pitch she saw over the fence in left centerfield for the Fighting Scots first grand slam of the year and an early 4-0 lead in the game. It was Payne's first home run of the season.

The Fighting Scots were presented with another bases loaded opportunity with two outs in the top of the third inning. The Scots could not capitalize this time around as Theresa Fleckenstein flied out to left field.

Gannon would begin to chip into the lead in the bottom of the third inning. With the bases full and nobody out, Alyssa Bates delivered a sacrifice fly that scored Jess Rectenwald but saw Jackie Martinez thrown out at third base on the throw from Laura Crooks in center field. Payne, who started the game in the circle for the Scots, escaped the frame allowing only the one run.

Payne would not be able to avoid trouble in the next inning. Gannon tagged the sophomore for five runs before she was pulled from the game for Kerri Stevens. The Lady Knights lead 6-4 heading into the fifth inning.

After Edinboro went down in order in the top of the fifth inning, Gannon had another big inning in the bottom of the fifth. With one out and the bases loaded, the Scots brought in Samantha Weaver to pitch for Stevens. With Bates at-bat and a 0-1 count, the Gannon catcher hit a grand slam to increase the Lady Knights lead to 10-4. Gannon then tacked on two more runs to win the game 12-4 due to the eight-run mercy rule.

Payne was credited with the loss, her first of the season as she falls to 4-1. She pitched 3.2 innings, gave up seven runs, six earned, seven hits, three walks, and struck out four. The Bellwood, Pa. native finished 1-for-1 at the plate with the grand slam and one walk.

Olivia Gumbita improved to 4-1 for Gannon. She pitched all five innings allowing four runs, five hits, three walks, and struck out seven.

Bates finished the game 2-for-2 at the dish with two runs and six RBI.

 

GAME TWO - Gannon 3, Edinboro 1
Three errors in the bottom of the third inning would be the Edinboro's Achilles heel in the second game of the twinbill. All three Gannon runs were scored in that frame as the Fighting Scots eventually lost 3-1.

Edinboro took another early lead in the top of the second inning as the Fighting Scots made the first two hits of the game count. Haley Struebing singled up the middle on a 2-2 count. After Struebing reached second base on a Fleckenstein groundout, Brooke Callaghan singled to center field to drive in Struebing and take an early 1-0 lead for the Scots.

Kalet Lenart got the start for Edinboro and cruised through the first two innings allowing only one baserunner. Gannon pounced a trio of errors by the Scots in the bottom of the third inning. Alexa Archambeault and Allie Salerno each reached on errors to lead off the inning. Rectenwald then singled and advanced to second on a third error by Edinboro in the frame, Salerno reached third, and Archambeault scored. Lenart then struck out the next two Lady Knights swinging before Bates stepped to the plate and hit a two RBI single to increase the Gannon lead to 3-1. Lenart retired the next batter on a fly out to left field.

The Fighting Scots struggled to swing the bat the rest of the way. Only one batter reached base and that was Heather Tighe in the top of the sixth inning with two away. Edinboro finished with three hits in the game as they did in the first game of the doubleheader. The Fighting Scots only have one game this year - 5-0 loss to Concord - in which they have fewer hits in a game (two).

Lenart was stellar throughout. The sophomore pitcher allowed 0 earned runs while striking out four over six innings. She allowed four hits and one walk. Her record evened out at 1-1 for the season.

Rectenwald pitched the second game for Gannon throwing a complete game. She allowed one run, three hits, zero walks, and struck out five.

Callaghan and Struebing each continued their hitting streaks in the contest, pushing them to six and five games, respectively. Callaghan's mark ties Kylie Mason for the longest Edinboro hitting streak this year. The sophomore third baseman finished the day 2-for-5 with one run scored and a RBI while Struebing went 2-for-6 at the dish with one run scored.

NEXT UP - at California (Pa.) (DH)
Edinboro returns to the field tomorrow as they have a doubleheader scheduled at California (Pa.). Action against the Vulcans will begin at 2:30 p.m. They enter with a 8-4 overall record and are 2-0 in the PSAC.