CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Feb. 17, 2011) – The Saint Francis softball team got the 2011 campaign started on a positive note, winning the program's 400th game, 8-5, over Eastern Kentucky, but the Red Flash dropped their second game at the UNC-Charlotte First Pitch Classic on Friday afternoon.
Junior Kaitlin Andler scored two runs and drove in two more to lead SFU to an 8-5 season-opening victory over Eastern Kentucky. Freshman Ashley Thomas had an RBI single to drive in Saint Francis' first run of the season in her first career at-bat and fellow freshman Chelsy Cosentino followed with an RBI double to spark a first inning six-run rally.
However, tournament-host Charlotte broke a 2-2 tie with four runs in the third inning and four more in the fifth inning to hand SFU a 10-2 five inning defeat.
The Red Flash will face UNC-Greensboro at 10 a.m. on Saturday and an opponent to be determined at either 2 p.m. or 4 p.m. during the second day of the tournament.
“We'll take this performance, especially for the first day of the season,” said Saint Francis head coach Sabrina Lane. “We came out on fire against Eastern Kentucky, and we hit the ball and fielded well for our first time outdoors. For the Charlotte game, we kept fighting back and had the game tied at 2-2, but then gave up a three-run home run. It deflated us and we couldn't bounce back. Tomorrow is another day and we will come out to play. UNC-Greensboro is a good team and we need to be on top of our game.”
Junior
Megan Layne (Vallejo, Calif./Rodriguez) got the win in Game 1 to lead the Red Flash to the program's 400
th win all-time. She gave up one run on eight hits in 6.1 innings, and struck out five and walked four.
Andler was 2-for-4 in the game with two runs and two RBI, while junior
Katie McMellen (Kingsville, OH /Edgewood) was 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI.
Andler went 2-for-2 in the loss against the 49ers, while sophomore Karlie Miller was 2-for-3. Layne suffered the loss in giving up six runs on eight hits in 3.0 innings. She struck out four and walked two.
For periodic softball updates and other Red Flash news, follow Director of Athletic Communications Bob Volkert on Twitter at SFUVolkert.
