TEANECK, N.J. – With its victory in the first game of its NEC doubleheader at Fairleigh Dickinson on Sunday, the Saint Francis softball team matched its best start in conference play in nine years. The 2006 SFU team also started the NEC schedule with a 4-1 record. The Flash defeated FDU, 8-6, in game one. The Knights came back with a 9-7 win in the second game.
Taylor Parsons (Bellefonte, Pa./Bald Eagle) led off game one with a double, and she was at third with
Alexis Bower (Cogan Station, Pa./Williamsport Area) at first. The Flash (23-9, 4-2) executed a double steal to allow Parsons to score the game's first run. A fielding error by Fairleigh Dickinson allowed Bower to score to make it 2-0 after one.
In the second, Parsons' second double in as many innings pushed
Maggie Creciun (Norristown, Pa./Norristown) to third, and
Lindsey Reid (Bear, Del./Caravel Academy)'s walk loaded the bases. Bower then recorded a hard-earned RBI with a hit-by-pitch to force Creciun home to make it 3-0. Parsons was 2-for-3 in game one with the two doubles and two walks.
An RBI double in the bottom of the second pulled the Knights back to within 3-1, but the Flash broke the game open in the fourth. After a Parsons walk and a Reid hit-by-pitch, Bower blasted a pitch deep to left center to make it 6-1. That was her fourth home run of the season, and she added four RBIs in game one and two more in game two.
In the fifth,
Kate Blattenberger (Martinsburg, Pa./Central) doubled to the fence in left to score
Kindra Witthus (Hudson, Wis./Hudson) to make it 7-1, and Blattenberger came around on Creciun's slicing triple into the right field corner to make it 8-1. Creciun joined Parsons as Red Flash players with two hits in game one.
Ethel Santai (Pine Grove, Pa./Pine Grove Area) and
Chelsea Rex (Philipsburg, Pa./Philipsburg-Osceola) combined for three fairly spotless innings of relief, but the Knights were able to break through in the seventh. Fairleigh Dickinson scored five runs on six hits and had the go-ahead run at the plate with one out in an 8-6 game. Lauthers re-entered the circle and was able to induce a fielder's choice and a groundout to preserve the win for the Flash.
The Flash freshmen on the left side of the infield each made a great play in the field in game two. Shortstop
Jordan Seneca (New Kensington, Pa./Plum) made a highlight reel play in the bottom of the third. With one out and a runner on first, Seneca grabbed the grounder up the middle, touched second base with her mitt and fired a strike to first to complete the double play.
Third baseman
Madison Cabell (Ivor, Va./Southampton) followed with her own in the fourth. Charging on a popped-up bunt attempt, she managed to reverse course and dive back towards the third base bag to make the catch.
Fairleigh Dickinson carried its momentum from the seventh inning of game one into its first at-bat of game two. After two singles and a hit-batsman in the bottom of the first, a grand slam to left center gave the Knights a very early 4-0 lead.
Bower doubled to lead off the fourth inning, and Witthus followed with a single to right center to put runners at the corners with one out. Witthus got herself stuck in a rundown long enough to allow Bower to score to make it 4-1.
The Knights added two runs in the fourth to make it 6-1, but the Flash answered with one in the top of the sixth on Cabell's double to left to bring Bower home to cut it to 6-2. FDU responded with three insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth.
Those insurance runs turned out to be useful.
Nicole Paiotti (Oakland, N.J./Indian Hills) hit her second home run of the season in the seventh. After two outs, Bower had a two-run single to cut the deficit to 9-5. Cabell got her third hit of game two in the next at-bat, doubling to right to bring home Reid and Bower to make it 9-7. But that was where the comeback came to an end for the Flash.
Saint Francis heads out of conference to play at Towson on Wednesday. First pitch of the doubleheader is set for 3 p.m.
