BALTIMORE, Md.  (Mar. 18, 2011) – The Saint Francis softball team held late leads on two different occasions, but tournament-host UMBC rallied both times to hand the Red Flash a tough 7-6, eight inning loss on Friday at the UMBC Spring Classic.

 

SFU dropped a 7-2 decision earlier in the day against Niagara, and fell to 6-18 on the year. The Red Flash will return to action at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday against Brown.

 

The Purple Eagles jumped out to a 7-0 lead after five innings in the day's first contest. Saint Francis scored a run on an RBI groundout by junior Katie McMellen (Kingsville, OH /Edgewood) in the fifth inning, and added another run on an RBI single by junior Kaitlin Andler in the sixth inning. However, but reliever Kim Bryson came in to get a pair of strikeouts as the Red Flash left the bases loaded.

 

Junior Paige Smith (Saugus, Calif./Valencia) was 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored, while freshman Chelsy Cosentino was 2-for-3 with a run scored.

 

The Retrievers took a 2-0 lead with runs in the first and fifth frames before pinch-runner Hannah Francis scored on a catchers' interference with the bases loaded to make it 2-1 in the sixth inning.

 

UMBC tacked on a run to make it 3-1 in the bottom half of the inning, but the Red Flash rallied for four runs in the top of the seventh to take a 5-3 lead. Freshman Jasa Mitchell had a two-run double, while Cosentino followed with an RBI single, and sophomore Misty Hammel brought in another on an RBI groundout.

 

However, the Retrievers rallied for two runs in the bottom of the inning to tie the game at 5-5 and force extra innings.

 

McMellen plated Hammel on a groundout in the top of the eighth inning, but UMBC scored two in the bottom of the inning to earn the 7-6 victory.

 

Andler was 2-for-3, while Cosentino walked twice and scored two runs for SFU.

 

For all the latest information, notes, pictures and related links on Saint Francis softball, follow Director of Athletic Communications Bob Volkert on Twitter (@SFUVolkert) and check www.SFUathletics.com. The Red Flash are also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SFUAthletics.