BOX SCORE 1 | BOX SCORE 2 LORETTO, Pa. – The Saint Francis softball team carried leads into the middle innings in each game of its Saturday doubleheader with Bryant, but timely hitting from the Bulldogs propelled them to a pair of NEC victories by scores of 5-2 and 3-2.
 
Blaire Lauthers (Doylesburg, Pa./Fannett-Metal) had allowed just a run on five hits through six innings in game two as the Flash carried a 2-1 lead into the top of the seventh. After one out, she allowed a walk and a double to put the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position. Kindra Witthus (Hudson, Wis./Hudson) made a great play on a grounder by the next hitter, nearly tagging the runner out at third but still gathering herself to get the batter at first for the second out. But Madeline Velasquez found a hole on the left side as shortstop Maggie Creciun (Norristown, Pa./Norristown) was able to knock the ball down. She fired to the plate to try to cut down the go-ahead run, but the runner was called safe on a close play to give the Bulldogs the lead.
 
The Flash (21-17, 4-6) scored single runs in the second and third innings of the second game. Witthus singled home Chelsy Cosentino (New Kensington, Pa./Kiski Area) in the second to match Bryant's run in the top half to tie the score at 1-1. Samantha Thomas (Sterling, Va./Park View) and Taylor Parsons (Bellefonte, Pa./Bald Eagle) had back-to-back doubles after one out in the third to give the Flash the advantage it held until there were two outs in the seventh.
 
In game one, Lindsey Reid (Bear, Del./Caravel Academy) doubled home Sabrie Neeb (Front Royal, Va./Skyline) to open the scoring in the home half of the second inning. Reid scored two batters later on Creciun's single through the right side to make it 2-0 Saint Francis.
 
Bryant scored three unearned runs in the fourth inning to take the lead, and that included a two-run homer to leapfrog the Bulldogs ahead. Bryant added runs in the sixth and seventh innings to round out the scoring. Seven of Bryant's eight runs scored in the doubleheader came after two outs.
 
The Flash returns home to face Bucknell in non-conference action Tuesday at 3:00 p.m.