COLLEGE PARK, Md. (Mar. 17, 2015) – The Saint Francis U softball team ran its winning streak to six games after defeating Maryland 3-2 and 5-2 in a doubleheader on Tuesday afternoon. Senior INF/OF Taylor Parsons (Bellefonte, Pa./Bald Eagle) highlighted the afternoon slate, as her sixth double of the year gave her SFU's all-time record with 38.
 
Alexis Bower (Cogan Station, Pa./Williamsport Area) got the nod in game one and threw two innings, allowing one earned run, and striking out two. Blaire Lauthers (Doylesburg, Pa./Fannett-Metal) (4-2) followed Bower's two innings with two of her own to pick up her fourth victory of the year. She allowed one run on three hits while striking out two.
 
After a scoreless first inning, Saint Francis broke through in the second with three consecutive hits to open the frame. Jordan Seneca (New Kensington, Pa./Plum) highlighted SFU's scoring with an RBI single up the middle to give the Flash an early lead. The Terps battled right back and scored on a RBI single from Mandy Gardner in the bottom half of the inning.
 
Saint Francis took advantage of the Maryland right fielder's miscue in the third to take a 3-1 advantage as Bower and Kindra Witthus (Hudson, Wis./Hudson) scored on the error. The Terps followed the two-run out burst from the Flash with a blast of its own as Corey Schwartz launched a home run to cut the lead to one.
 
Both teams exchanged zeroes throughout the remainder of the game one as Saint Francis brought in Ethel Santai (Pine Grove, Pa./Pine Grove Area) to pitch the remaining three innings. Her scoreless outing resulted in her first save of the year and gave SFU its fifth consecutive victory.
 
Santai got the call for the start in the nightcap of the doubleheader and she turned in another strong performance working two innings. Ketarah DeVries (Forreston, Ill./Forreston) (2-1) came in the bottom of the third inning and worked three innings of one run ball to pick up the victory. Bower came in the final two innings to pick up the save.
 
The Terps scored the first run of game two in the second inning when Kaitlyn Schmeiser laced an RBI single through the right side. SFU came right back in the third with a Bower sacrifice fly to right field to tie the game at one. In the fourth, Nicole Paiotti (Oakland, N.J./Indian Hills) launched a huge two-run homer to right to push the lead to 3-1. SFU added the final blow in the fifth as Jordan Seneca (New Kensington, Pa./Plum) reached on a Maryland error to bring home two runs to secure the Flash's victory.
 
Saint Francis picked up its fourth and fifth victories against a Big 10 opponent with the sweep of Maryland this afternoon. The last win against a Big 10 school came last year versus Penn State. SFU defeated the Nittany Lions 4-2 in eight innings.
 
The Flash return to the diamond on Friday, March 20 facing off against Quinnipiac to open the Liberty Softball Classic. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.