STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – It took a trip through the Saint Francis softball team's batting order for the Red Flash offense to find its stroke against Penn State in the team's non-conference doubleheader Wednesday night at Nittany Lion Softball Park. But the Flash offense shifted into gear over the second half of the game to push SFU to a 5-4 win in game one. In game two, Penn State won, 14-2.

Penn State starter Jessica Cummings retired the first 10 hitters she faced as the Nittany Lions took a 1-0 lead. After one out, Kindra Witthus (Hudson, Wis./Hudson) walked. Alexis Bower (Cogan Station, Pa./Williamsport Area) followed with the Flash's first hit on an infield single. With two on and one out, Madison Cabell (Ivor, Va./Southampton) singled home Witthus to tie the score. In the next at-bat, Nicole Paiotti (Oakland, N.J./Indian Hills) rifled a base hit to center to bring Bower around as the SFU moved ahead, 2-1.

Penn State tied the score with a two-out base hit in the bottom of the fourth, but the Flash regained the lead with some crafty baserunning and some sheer power. Lindsey Reid (Bear, Del./Caravel Academy) singled and moved to second on a wild pitch with one out. Taylor Parsons (Bellefonte, Pa./Bald Eagle) flied out deep to center, and a tagging Reid came all the way around to score from second on the play, just beating the relay throw and the tag at the plate. Next up was Witthus, and she ripped a pitch to center for her fourth home run of the season to make it 4-2.

Ethel Santai (Pine Grove, Pa./Pine Grove Area) held the lead for the Flash as SFU added an insurance run in the top of the seventh that turned out to be pretty important. Maggie Creciun (Norristown, Pa./Norristown) singled off Cummings' glove with one out and scored without another ball being put in play. Two wild pitches moved her to third base, and a passed ball allowed her to score to make it 5-2.

Armed with a three-run lead, Santai fought against the raindrops with a hit batter and a walk to open the frame. Bower came on to pitch and allowed an infield single to load the bases. A hit-by-pitch and a walk forced in two runs to make it 5-4. Penn State still had the bases loaded with nobody out.

But Bower clamped down. Needing just a ball to the outfield to tie or perhaps win the game, Penn State managed a pop out to third, a strikeout and a foul out to shortstop to end the game.

Six different Flash players had a hit and Santai earned her eighth win of the season. She went four innings, allowing just the two runs that she left on the bases in the seventh.

In game two, the Flash took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning when Parsons scored from third on a double steal with Bower heading to second. But Penn State responded with five runs after two outs in the bottom half of the inning. A two-run double off the wall in right gave the Nittany Lions a 2-1 lead. Back-to-back home runs followed to push the advantage to 5-1.

The Flash got a run back with a pair of doubles in the top of the fourth. Kate Blattenberger (Martinsburg, Pa./Central) doubled off the wall in right, and Parsons brought her around with a two-out double down the right field line.
In the fourth, the Lions batted around and scored seven more runs to take a 14-2 lead.

The Flash has wins in back-to-back seasons against Penn State for the second time in program history. The first came with the Flash's first two wins against the Nits in 2008-09.

SFU moves back into NEC play with a crucial weekend on the road. First up is a Saturday doubleheader at Central Connecticut.