Pacers' Record Season Ends in CSAC First Round
Morgan fires no-hitter as GMC advances to elimination tournament
Marywood's finest season ever came to a close as the Pacers were upset by GMC Wednesday afternoon
BOX SCORE
Scranton, PA – Gwynedd-Mercy pitcher Heather Morgan fired a complete-game no-hitter and the visiting Griffins made a first-inning unearned run stand as GMC advanced to the Colonial States Athletic Conference elimination tournament this weekend with a 1-0 win over Marywood University Wednesday afternoon in Scranton. The Griffins improved to 15-20 with the win while Marywood’s record-breaking season comes to a close at 27-11.
Gwynedd grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first as Ali Gurko reached on a walk and stole second and third to get into scoring position. Gurko would then score on a error on a play at the plate to give the Griffins the lead. In the third, Gurko would reach first without a hit again as this time the freshman leftfielder would be hit by a pitch with two outs. Gurko would then swipe second, and an error and walk would load the bases for the visitors. However, with Michelle Bissell up for GMC, Marywood starter Mallory Gable (Hughestown, PA) would get a key pop-out to second to end the inning and leave the Griffins stranding three runners.
In the bottom of the fifth, an infield error with two outs would give Marywood their first base runner of the game, but a routine grounder to third quickly ended the inning. GMC’s Jen Smull would then get the game’s first hit in the top of the sixth with a single up the middle to open the inning. Smull would then move to second as the very next batter Ashley Bowie singled to left. With no outs and runners on first and second, Marywood third baseman Ashley Dommes turned a double play by tagging third to get Smull and firing across the infield to get Michelle Bissell at first.
Rachel Smull would then single to right with two outs go give the Griffins runners at the corners, but the visitors could not get a key insurance run as Gable got Danyelle Lemm to ground out to deep short to end the inning as Caitlin Hadzimichalis (Harmony, NJ) made a great throw across the diamond for Marywood.
Marywood opened the bottom of the sixth with pinch-hitters Andrea Beck (Waymart, PA) and Kaitlyn Brennan (Taylor, PA) leading off. Beck would become Morgan’s fifth strikeout victim on four pitches and Brennan would ground out to short, leaving it up to Erika Cook (Wyalusing, PA) to try to start a two-out rally. However, Morgan would get Cook to pop out to second to end the inning and continue her quest for a no-hitter.
Morgan kept the Pacers’ bats in check all day as the Griffins’ hurler struck out six and did not allow a hit all day to get the no-hitter. The only runner to reach base for the Pacers reached on an infield error. Gable did her best to keep the game within reach for Marywood as the senior had five strikeouts and also did not allow a hit through five innings of work on the mound. Morgan improved to 5-4 on the year while Gable ended her senior campaign with a 10-2 record.
Gwynedd-Mercy advances to play second-seeded Centenary College in Saturdays CSAC double-elimination tournament.