BOX SCORE 1 | BOX SCORE 2 LORETTO, Pa. (April 21, 2013) – The Saint Francis U softball team suffered two Northeast Conference setbacks to LIU Brooklyn on Sunday, falling 10-0 in six innings and 6-5 in eight innings.
 
Sunday marked the team's second annual 'Hitting for Hope' charity event, to raise money for Drue Storm as he continues his battle with Leukemia.
 
In game one the Blackbirds' (15-32, 11-5 NEC) offense pounded out 16 hits and 10 runs to earn the win in a shortened six innings. LIU Brooklyn used two big innings, plating four runs in the second and five in the sixth, to lock up the win. Kate Blattenberger (Martinsburg, Pa./Central), Taylor Darneille (Fircrest, Wash./Wilson) and Taylor Parsons (Bellefonte, Pa./Bald Eagle) collected hits in the ballgame for the Red Flash (20-22, 2-8 NEC).
 
Ketarah DeVries (Forreston, Ill./Forreston) dropped to 14-13 on the season after getting the start and going the distance in the opening contest.
 
It was the Red Flash however who struck first in the second game, scoring a run in the bottom of the first. Brianna Garcia (Riverside, Calif./Arlington) led off the frame with a single to left field and was moved over to third on a sacrifice bunt by Davina Kachnovitz (Bear, Del./Glasgow) and Chelsy Cosentino (New Kensington, Pa./Kiski Area) single. Sabrie Neeb (Front Royal, Va./Skyline) then drove in Garcia when she dropped in a single to right, putting the Flash up 1-0 after one.
 
The Blackbirds tied the game in the fourth and eventually took a 5-1 advantage in the fifth but Saint Francis chipped away at the lead. Darneille skied a sacrifice fly to left in the sixth, scoring Neeb and making the score 5-2.
 
Down three runs heading into the bottom of the seventh, the Flash got what they needed in order to keep the game alive. Karlie Miller (Wildomar, Calif./Temescal Canyon) and Misty Hammel (Oakville, Ontario/Holy Trinity) kicked the inning off with back-to-back singles. With runners on first and second, Garcia poked an RBI base hit to left center, cutting the lead to 5-3.
 
Cosentino and Neeb then collected back-to-back singles themselves, each scoring a run to tie the game at 5-5 and force extra innings.
 
A sacrifice fly in the top of the eighth however by LIU Brooklyn was the difference maker in the game, giving the Blackbirds the 6-5 advantage.
 
Chelsea Rex (Philipsburg, Pa./Philipsburg-Osceola) pitched all eight innings in the circle for SFU and took the loss, dropping her record to 5-5 on the year.
 
Neeb hit a perfect 4-for-4 in the second game, all singles and drove in two runs.
 
Saint Francis concludes its longest home stand of the season tomorrow afternoon when they play host to Wagner for Senior Day, beginning at noon.