LORETTO, Pa. (May 7, 2011) – The Saint Francis University softball team struggled to match a red-hot Long Island offense as it dropped a pair of contests to close out its 2011 campaign at Red Flash Field on Saturday. LIU took game one, 13-3 (6 innings), and game two, 8-1.

The Red Flash kept the pace with LIU through five innings in game one, dueling the Blackbirds to a 3-3 tie. Karlie Miller scored on a fielding error in the second inning to erase a 1-0 deficit. Long Island first baseman Megan Sheaf had trouble collecting a throw from short, but recovered to throw out Kaitlin Andler at home on the same sequence to end the inning.

After a scoreless third, Long Island tacked on two runs in the fourth to regain the lead but Saint Francis answered with two of their own in the fifth. With two on and one out, Paige Smith (Saugus, Calif./Valencia) doubled in Brianna Garcia and Taylor Darneille to even the score at 3-3.

The Blackbirds, however, responded with 10 runs – eight of which were unearned – on nine hits in the top of the sixth to sew up the win. LIU sent 15 women to the plate in the frame.

Darneille led SFU's eight hit attack with a 2-for-3 showing. The Blackbirds racked up 18 hits in the six-inning contest. LIU's Emily Kakuska scored three runs on two hits, while driving in four.

Saint Francis couldn't get its offense on track in the second game, as it managed only one run on three hits. Long Island pitcher Sheaf tossed a complete game, striking out three and issuing three walks.

SFU's lone run came on a fourth inning solo home run by Smith.

Long Island pounded out eight runs on 14 hits, led by a 3-for-4 performance by Madison Zymkowitz.

The Red Flash wrap up their season with a 10-38 mark, including a 2-16 mark in Northeast Conference play.