Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

FAIRFIELD Conn. (April 21, 2012) – As Northeast Conference play begins to wind down, the Saint Francis University softball team made a push further towards a postseason playoff berth by picking up a two-game sweep over Sacred Heart.

In a lengthy first game, the Red Flash (21-21, 8-8 NEC) scored three runs in the 11^th inning to get past Sacred Heart (17-30, 6-12 NEC) 4-1 to start the day. The Pioneers jumped out to an early lead off of a solo homerun in the bottom of the first to put SHU up 1-0. The game remained scoreless until Saint Francis tallied the tying run in the top of the sixth. Taylor Darneille (Fircrest, Wash./Wilson) lined a one-out double to center field to put a runner in scoring position. The next batter, Karlie Miller (Wildomar, Calif./Temescal Canyon), came through in the clutch with a base knock through the middle that tallied the tying run.

It was not until the 11^th frame that the score would be broken up. On international tie break rules, Courtney Francis (Jefferson, Ohio/Jefferson Area) was placed on second base to start the inning. Miller then stepped to the plate and reached on a single to right field that moved the runner over to third with one out. Chelsy Cosentino (New Kensington, Pa./Kiski Area)'s sacrifice bunt attempt worked in SFU's favor as Sacred Heart committed a throwing error on the play to score the game winning run from third. The Flash notched two more insurance runs in the inning off the bat of Paige Smith (Saugus, Calif./Valencia) that plated two runs.

Brooke Koch (Jersey Shore, Pa./Jersey Shore) had a standout day on the mound and earned her ninth win of the season after throwing 10 full innings and gave up just one earned run while firing eight strikeouts. Megan Layne (Vallejo, Calif./Rodriguez) threw the final inning of the opening contest and picked up her first save of the season.

In the first frame of game two the Flash quickly went ahead 1-0 with successful two-out hitting. Taylor Parsons lined a single to left field and swiped second base to put herself in scoring position. Parsons then scored on an RBI base hit to left off the bat of Darneille. Saint Francis lifted its lead to two in the top of the third when Smith drove in Brianna Garcia (Riverside, Calif./Arlington), who reached on a leadoff double.

Sacred Heart cut the lead in half in the bottom of the third to make the score 2-1 but it would be all the Pioneers got in game two. In the top of the fifth the Red Flash put up a couple of insurance runs off of two-out hits by Parsons and Darneille.

Layne evened her record at 7-7 after throwing 4.1 innings of relief for starter Chelsea Rex. Layne struck out three and gave up three hits in the win. Parsons was a perfect 3-for-3 in the second game of the doubleheader.

Saint Francis continues its Connecticut road trip with a noon doubleheader against Quinnipiac Sunday afternoon.