First Game GREENVILLE, N.C. – The Saint Francis softball team dropped a 3-0 decision against UMass in its first game on Saturday at the East Carolina Pirate Clash. The Red Flash held the Minutemen scoreless over the last four innings, but only managed two hits in the contest. SFU is now 4-4 this season.
Junior
Ethel Santai (Pine Grove, Pa./Pine Grove Area) took the loss for Saint Francis. She is now 2-3 this year. Santai started and pitched 1.1 innings, allowing three runs on three hits and a walk. Junior
Blaire Lauthers (Doylesburg, Pa./Fannett-Metal) took over for the final 4.2 innings, giving up three hits.
Meg Colleran earned the win for UMass, pitching a complete game, while allowing only two hits over seven scoreless innings, while striking out four and walking two.
Freshman
Kassidy Troxell (Navarre, Ohio/Perry) and junior
Kindra Witthus (Hudson, Wis./Hudson) each had one hit for the Red Flash.
The Minutemen scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning on a home run to left by Taylor Carbone. Jena Cozza singled to lead off the inning before Carbone's homer on a 1-1 pitch.
UMass added its third run of the game in the bottom of the second inning on a home run to right by Kaycee Carbone.
Only two Red Flash batters reached base through the first four innings. However, Troxell singled up the middle to lead off the top of the fifth. Two batters later, senior
Kate Blattenberger (Martinsburg, Pa./Central) was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second. Witthus followed with a single to left field to load the bases. However, the next batter, freshman
Sierra McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) grounded into a fielder's choice as Troxell was thrown out at the plate. The Red Flash threat was ended on a groundout by freshman
Hayley Norton (Spring Grove, Pa./Spring Grove).
Second Game GREENVILLE, N.C. – The Saint Francis softball team bounced back from a loss earlier in the day to knock off East Carolina, 7-2, in the nightcap of Saturday action at the ECU Pirate Clash. The Red Flash tallied seven hits in the win to improve to 5-4 this year.
Junior
Alexis Bower (Cogan Station, Pa./Williamsport Area) pitched a complete game to pick up her first win of the season. She allowed only six hits, while striking out seven and walking six. Bower held the Pirates scoreless in five of her seven innings.
Sophomore
Jordan Seneca (Plum, Pa./Plum) and S. McKee each had two hits, while Norton drove in three runs. McKee and Norton scored two runs each.
The Pirates got on the board in the bottom of the first on a single to center by Karlie Smith, which scored Meredith Mitchell.
Saint Francis responded with five runs in the top of the second. Freshman
Cheyenne McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) and Troxell led off the inning with back-to-back singles. Three batters later, Witthus was hit by a pitch to load the bases. S. McKee then reached on an infield single, which scored C. McKee. Another freshman, Norton, followed with a triple down the right field line to clear the bases and drive in three runs. Norton scored on a wild pitch to give the Red Flash a 5-1 lead.
Only five East Carolina batters reached base between the second through sixth innings.
In the top of the seventh, the Red Flash added two more runs on Seneca' double to center. With one out, S. McKee singled up the middle. Norton then drew a walk to setup Seneca's two-base knock.
East Carolina also added a run in the seventh as Ciara Ervin scored on a bases-loaded walk drawn by Alex Mycek.
The Red Flash concludes the East Carolina Pirate Clash on Sunday. SFU takes on UMass at 10 a.m. and ECU at 3 p.m.
