ERIE, Pa. – Notre Dame College battled back in game two, but ultimately lost to Gannon University by a score of 3-0 in game one and 8-4 in the second game, on Tuesday afternoon.
Gannon scored the first run of the day in the second inning on an RBI double by Taylor Wilp, another run on a single in the third by Autumn Smith and one more run in the sixth with a Megan Dietrick RBI single.
The only Falcon to reach scoring position in the first game was sophomore
Katelyn Rheude who singled with two outs and then moved to second base on a single by freshman
Mikaela Fording, in the third inning. NDC was held to just four hits in the game.
Sophomore
McKenzie Zigmont (5-7) took a tough loss after allowing just two earned runs in six innings of work. Madi Beining (5-3) threw a complete game shutout for Gannon. Smith and Wilp both had two hits.
Gannon, again, jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning of game two. With runners on first and second base, Kaity Stocker singled to left, scoring a run. Then, Maria Taliani scored two more runs with a double to left field.
NDC's offense came to life in the third inning. Rheude singled, sophomore
Maria Payne walked and senior
Shelby Stephens walked. Junior
Kathryn Smith reached on an error by the catcher Lisa Szajn, going all the way to second base, with Rheude and Payne coming home. The next hitter, senior
Halli Swiger, singled to right field, scoring Stephens. Junior
Ariel Linberger singled to nearly the same spot in right field, scoring Smith with two outs and giving the Falcons their first lead of the day (4-3).
The Golden Knights grabbed the lead back in the bottom of the fourth inning when Rachel Tanilli smashed a two-run home run to center field, putting GU on top 5-4. They would add a run in the fifth and two runs in the sixth.
Rheude had two hits over the double-header and Smith had two RBI in game two, for the Falcons.
Gannon had four doubles and a home run in the second game. Taliani went 3-for-3 at the plate with a two doubles and two RBI. All four runs allowed by Kennedy DeMatteis were unearned but Kellyn Perich (2-1) grabbed the win after pitching the final 4.2 innings, allowing zero runs.
Notre Dame will go to North Canton, Ohio to play Walsh University on March 28. First pitch of the double-header is scheduled to take place at 3 p.m.