BOX SCORE 1 | BOX SCORE 2 LORETTO, Pa. (April 11, 2013) – Using some late inning heroics in game two, the Saint Francis U softball team took a pair of games from Cleveland State Thursday at Red Flash Field, 6-1 in game one and 4-3 in extras in game two.

Taylor Darneille (Fircrest, Wash./Wilson) connected on her third homerun of the season in the bottom of the second to give the Red Flash (18-16) an early one run lead in the first game. Saint Francis added to its lead in the third, plating three runs. Maggie Creciun (Norristown, Pa./Norristown) hustled down the line for an infield single and was moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Samantha Thomas (Sterling, Va./Park View). After Davina Kachnovitz (Bear, Del./Glasgow) dropped in her sixth double of the season, Chelsy Cosentino (New Kensington, Pa./Kiski Area) came through with a two-RBI single through the right side. Darneille later collected her second hit of the game that scored another run.

Cleveland State (10-17) broke up the shutout in the fourth when Nena Doran lifted a solo homerun to left center. The Red Flash scored its final two runs of the game in the fifth, getting a run off the bat of Chelsea Rex (Philipsburg, Pa./Philipsburg-Osceola) and a bases loaded walk from Hannah Francis (Jefferson, Ohio/Jefferson Area).

Ketarah DeVries (Forreston, Ill./Forreston) (13-10) allowed just two hits in her six innings pitched and dealt six strikeouts in the win. Rex came in from playing the field as relief to shut down the Vikings in the seventh.

A tight pitching battle developed in game two as neither team managed a run until the Vikings' Erica McNew collected her 10^th homerun of the season that brought in two runs. Down 2-0 in the bottom of the seventh, Karlie Miller (Wildomar, Calif./Temescal Canyon) gave SFU some life in the inning with a one-out gap shot double to right center. Kate Blattenberger (Martinsburg, Pa./Central) then stepped in and lined her third homerun to right field that tied the game 2-2.

Heading into extra innings, the teams decided on international tie break rules, placing a runner on second to start the inning. A groundout advanced the runner to third and a bunt single put the Vikings up 3-2.

Needing more late inning magic, SFU used small ball in the eighth to get the victory. With Creciun placed on second, Kachnovitz pushed a bunt single out in front of the plate to put runners at the corners. With one out in the inning, Taylor Parsons (Bellefonte, Pa./Bald Eagle) laid down the squeeze bunt that brought in the tying run. In an attempt to throw Creciun out at home, the ball rolled to the backstop and allowed Kachnovitz to slide in safely at the plate for the game winning run.

DeVries got the start in game two as well and earned her 13^th win of the season after tossing all eight innings. She gave up six hits but no earned runs were charged to the freshman hurler.

Saint Francis gets back to Northeast Conference action this Sunday with a trip to Emmittsburg, Md. to take on Mount St. Mary's.