Gatto's second record breaking performance leads to Heart Pitcher of the Week

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Entering the month of March with an even 3-3 record, the Clarke University softball team earned their first individual weekly honor on Monday as sophomore pitcher Meredith Gatto earned the Heart of America Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week, Heart officials announced Monday afternoon.

Gatto earned a pair of wins in the circle in CU's doubleheader sweep over Trinity Christian College last Wednesday as she started the first game that would go into extra innings for the right-hander to break the Pride softball record for strikeouts in a game with 16 punch outs in the win as she struck out 14 batters in the regular seven innings then added two more in the extra frame, including the final out of the game.

Her day wasn't done as she also hopped back into the circle in the second game of the doubleheader in relief to eventually pitch 3.2 innings of another extra innings game to earn the pitching win for the CLarke 6-5 win as she didn't allow a single run over the 11 outs she recorded.

In total on the day, the Dubuque, Iowa native pitched 11.2 innings allowing a single earned run on five hits and only two walks to strike out a total of 21 batters of the 35 outs recorded.

Gatto opened the 2025 season by breaking the school record for steikeouts in a game as she rung up 14 Viterbo batters on Feb. 8 in an extra innings loss for her to now hold the top two single game strikeout performances in school history in just three starts this season after going her entire freshman campaign with six strikeouts being the most she would have in a game, showing a major step forward from her first and second collegiate seasons so far.

Pride softball will be back on the field on Saturday, Mar. 15 when they travel to Columbia, Mo. for a doubleheader against Columbia College before staying in town for a Sunday doubleheader against Stephens College.