First Game
 
FAIRFAX, Va. – The Saint Francis softball team earned a 9-1 six-inning, mercy-rule win over Canisius in Friday's first game at the Cherry Blossom Classic, hosted by George Mason.  The Red Flash collected 12 hits, including home runs by freshmen Mikayla Bower (Williamsport, Pa./Williamsport) and Hayley Norton (Spring Grove, Pa./Spring Grove).  SFU improved to 13-12 on the season.
 
Junior Alexis Bower (Cogan Station, Pa./Williamsport Area) picked up her fourth win of the season, pitching a complete game.  Bower allowed only one run on four hits, while striking out four and walking three.  Bower did not give up an extra base hit the entire game and only allowed two baserunners in three of six innings.
 
Madi Weathers threw a complete game for the Golden Griffins.  Weathers allowed nine runs on 12 hits, while striking out two and walking one.
 
Sophomore Madison Cabell (Ivor, Va./Southampton) led the Saint Francis offense with a 3-for-3 day, including two doubles and three RBI.  Freshman Sierra McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) went 3-for-4 with two RBI and three runs scored.  Norton drove in two runs. 
 
The Red Flash got on the board first, with two runs in the bottom of the first.  After leading off the inning with a single, Sierra McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) scored from third on a wild pitch after reaching third on a passed ball and a flyout.  Sophomore Jordan Seneca (Plum, Pa./Plum) followed by drawing a walk and then stealing second during Cabell's at-bat.  Cabell then lined a double to left to allow Seneca to cross the plate and give SFU a 2-0 advantage.
 
Saint Francis added a run in the bottom of the third.  McKee led off the inning with her second single of the game.  After two outs, Seneca singled to left.  Cabell followed with her own single to left to score McKee and give SFU a 3-0 lead.
 
Mikayla Bower (Williamsport, Pa./Williamsport) extended the Red Flash lead to four runs in the bottom of the fourth.  Leading off the inning, Bower launched a fly ball over the center field wall.
 
Canisius answered with a run in the top of the fifth.  An infield single by Jessica Berzins allowed Allie Block to score from third.  The Golden Griffins cut the SFU lead to 4-1.
 
The Red Flash added another run in the bottom of the fifth.  Alexis Bower (Cogan Station, Pa./Williamsport Area) singled to left with one out.  Two batters later, with Cabell up, Bower stole second.  Cabell worked a 3-2 count before hitting a line drive to right for her third hit of the day to score Bower.  SFU led 5-1.
 
Saint Francis clinched the mercy-rule victory with four runs in the bottom of the sixth.  After back-to-back one-out singles by Kindra Witthus (Hudson, Wis./Hudson) and Cheyenne McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) and a passed ball, Sierra McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) singled up the middle to drive in two runs.  Hayley Norton (Spring Grove, Pa./Spring Grove) followed with a fly ball over the left field wall for a two-run homer to give SFU a 9-1 win.
 
Second Game
 
FAIRFAX, Va. – Sophomore Madison Cabell (Ivor, Va./Southampton) hit a walk-off home run to left field to lead the Saint Francis softball team to a 5-4 win over Cornell in the second game of the day.  The Red Flash entered the bottom of the seventh trailing by a run after Cornell held the lead since the top of the second.  SFU won its fifth-straight game and improved to 14-12 on the year.  This was Saint Francis' first non-mercy rule walkoff of the season.
 
Junior Blaire Lauthers (Doylesburg, Pa./Fannett-Metal) moved to 5-2 on the season after pitching five shutout innings in relief.  She only allowed three hits and got 10 groundouts.  Junior Ethel Santai (Pine Grove, Pa./Pine Grove Area) started the game, giving up four runs on four hits, while striking out two and walking two.
 
Meg Parker pitched a complete game for Cornell, allowing five runs, four earned, on eight hits.  Parker struck out three and walked three.
 
Cabell continued a strong day with a 3-for-4 performance in the second game, including three RBI, after driving in three runs in the first game.  Kindra Witthus (Hudson, Wis./Hudson) also homered, while Cheyenne McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) contributed two hits and Alexis Bower (Cogan Station, Pa./Williamsport Area) scored two runs. 
 
The Red Flash opened up the scoring in the bottom of the first.  After a walk by Hayley Norton (Spring Grove, Pa./Spring Grove) and a single by Alexis Bower (Cogan Station, Pa./Williamsport Area), Cabell lined a single to right to drive in Norton.  SFU led 1-0 after the first inning.
 
Cornell answered with three runs in the top of the second.  A single by Madeline Avery allowed Tori Togashi to cross the plate.  Two batters later, Emily Weinberg tripled to right field to score Leanne Iannucci and Weinberg to give Cornell a 3-1 lead.
 
The Big Red added a run in the top of the third after back-to-back doubles by Meg Parker and Megan Murray. 
 
Saint Francis cut the deficit to 4-2 in the bottom of the third.  With two outs and the bases loaded, a wild pitch allowed Alexis Bower (Cogan Station, Pa./Williamsport Area) to score.  SFU had loaded the bases on a walk by Bower, a single by Cabell and a reached-on-error by Jordan Seneca (Plum, Pa./Plum). 
 
The Red Flash got another run back in the bottom of the sixth.  With two outs, Witthus launched a fly ball over the left field wall.  SFU trailed 4-3 going into its last at-bat.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, Alexis Bower (Cogan Station, Pa./Williamsport Area) drew a one-out walk to setup Cabell's walk-off shot. 
 
The Cherry Blossom Classic will continue on Saturday with Saint Francis taking on Cornell at 1:30 p.m. and George Mason at 6 p.m.