BOX SCORE 1 | BOX SCORE 2 LORETTO, Pa. (April 16, 2013) – The Saint Francis U softball team suffered a pair of Northeast Conference losses to Robert Morris on Tuesday by the finals of 8-1 and 6-4.
 
In game one, the Colonials (21-11-1, 7-1 NEC) jumped on the Red Flash (19-19, 2-6 NEC) in the first three innings. RMU scored two in the first and second and got one in the third to take a 5-0 lead after two and a half. Saint Francis plated its lone run of the contest in its half of the third. Kate Blattenberger (Martinsburg, Pa./Central) reached on an error to start the inning and later scored on a groundout by Brianna Garcia (Riverside, Calif./Arlington).
 
Robert Morris continued to add to its lead, using extra base hits and homeruns to score a majority of their eight runs. In all, the Colonials pounded out 16 hits in the ball game. RMU starting pitcher Nicole Sleith took a no-hit bid into the final frame of play but Chelsy Cosentino (New Kensington, Pa./Kiski Area) broke it up with a leadoff single to right field.
 
Ketarah DeVries (Forreston, Ill./Forreston) dropped to 13-12 on the year after allowing seven earned runs in her seven innings pitched.
 
Game two was a much tighter battle between these two in-state and conference rivals. A scoreless contest until the fourth, RMU's Maritza Jimenez connected on a solo shot to left center that put the Colonials up 1-0. The Flash were able to knot the game at 1-1 however in the bottom of the fourth when Garcia singled to left. A misplay on RMU's left fielder allowed Chelsea Rex (Philipsburg, Pa./Philipsburg-Osceola) to race home for the game-tying run.
 
Saint Francis took the lead in the fifth when Cosentino hit a clutch double to left center that scored Davina Kachnovitz (Bear, Del./Glasgow) all the way from first. Kachnovitz's team-leading 25th run scored of the season put SFU up 2-1 after five full innings.
 
The Red Flash took that lead into the seventh inning. A leadoff single and a Flash error put runners on first and second with one out. RMU's Cassie Show then singled in the game-tying run. After a walk loaded the bases with two outs, Haileigh Stocks stepped in and hit a go-ahead grand slam to left field that gave the Colonials a 6-2 lead.
 
Not giving up in the bottom of the seventh however, SFU struck for two runs. Karlie Miller (Wildomar, Calif./Temescal Canyon) roped a gap shot double and Kachnovitz followed with an infield single. Sabrie Neeb (Front Royal, Va./Skyline) drew a two-out walk that loaded the bases for Blattenberger. The freshman outfielder lined a single to center that plated the two runs for Saint Francis. A pop up to the catcher though ended the Flash threat in the seventh and secured a 6-4 win for Robert Morris.
 
Rex got the start in game two and was dealt the loss, pushing her pitching record to 5-3. Rex tossed all seven innings and was charged with just two earned runs.
 
Saint Francis will get after it again tomorrow afternoon with a non-conference doubleheader against Bucknell at Red Flash Field, beginning at 3 p.m.