Weekend Notes
Saturday Live Stats | NEC Front Row Game 1, Game 2
Sunday Live Stats
 
LORETTO, Pa. – The Saint Francis softball team opens its Northeast Conference schedule this weekend at LIU Brooklyn and Wagner.  The Red Flash takes on the Blackbirds in a doubleheader on Saturday, beginning at 1 p.m.  SFU meets the Seahawks on Sunday for a Noon twinbill.
 
The Red Flash is 18-13 this season after splitting its doubleheader at Marshall on Tuesday.  SFU fell 9-2 in the first game, but bounced back to win the second game, 4-0.  Saint Francis owns the top record in the NEC this year as it heads into conference play.
 
However, Wagner and LIU Brooklyn have the second and third-best records, respectively.  The Seahawks are 11-12, while the Blackbirds are 11-21.
 
MCKEE NAMED NEC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Freshman Sierra McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) was selected as NEC Co-Player of the Week after her performance against Lafayette in last Thursday's doubleheader.  The DuBois native went five-for-six (.833) with five runs scored and hit her first career home run.
 
The Red Flash have had an NEC Player of the Week in each of the six weeks the award has been given out.  Since 1998, SFU is the first team to have six NEC Player of the Week awards in a single season.
 
TAKING THE TOUGH ROAD
The Red Flash has the top record in the Northeast Conference, while playing one of the toughest schedules in the country.  SFU is currently ranked 45th in strength of schedule. The only NEC team with a tougher schedule so far is Mount St. Mary's at 38th.  Opponents SFU has played so far have a combined record of 270-204 this season.
 
Saint Francis has the top RPI in the conference at No. 128.  LIU Brooklyn is the next NEC team at No. 166.  SFU has played nine games against teams in the Top 100, including a win over Marshall, ranked 73rd, and five games against other teams ranked ahead of the Red Flash.     
 
APPROACHING RECORDS
Alexis Bower (Cogan Station, Pa./Williamsport Area)'s seventh inning homer in Tuesday's second game against Marshall was the team's 33rd home run of the season.  That tied the school's single-season record, set in 2008.
 
The Red Flash is currently on pace to break the NEC single-season home run mark.  Bryant hit 55 last season. SFU is on pace to break conference records for runs and RBI in a season.
 
SFU is also only 16 walks away from setting a new program single-season record, topping last year's total.
 
Bower is also now tied with Autumn Helsel (1996-99) for fifth on the career home runs list at Saint Francis with 19.  Bower is three home runs away from tying Kelly Slingwine (2006-09) for fourth place.
 
STEPPING UP IN THE CIRCLE
The Red Flash pitching staff has allowed one or less run in five of the last seven games, with six of those games resulting in wins.
 
One of the keys to SFU's success has been limiting walks to opposing hitters.  After allowing 3.33 walks per game in the first 24 games, SFU has cut that down to 2.14 walks per contest in the last seven.  That has helped the Red Flash to post a 2.39 ERA over the past seven contests.  SFU is allowing only 1.23 baserunners per inning after allowing 1.88 over the first 24 games.  SFU has also increased its strikeout totals by 1.5 per game.
 
Saint Francis has also limited extra base hits, allowing only eight over the last seven games.  SFU opponents had 66 extra base hits in the first 24 games.
 
Junior Ketarah DeVries (Forreston, Ill./Forreston) has three wins in three appearances over this stretch.  She has posted two complete-game shutouts, including a No-Hitter vs. Cornell.  In 17 innings, she has allowed only one runs, while striking out 19 batters and walking only six.  
 
Junior Blaire Lauthers (Doylesburg, Pa./Fannett-Metal) has pitched seven shutout innings over two appearances, including a win, while Alexis Bower (Cogan Station, Pa./Williamsport Area) is 2-1 in three starts.
 
SCOUTING THE BLACKBIRDS
LIU Brooklyn is 11-21 this season.  The Blackbirds fell 9-4 to Hofstra on Thursday before facing the Red Flash on Saturday.  Last week, LIU dropped a 9-8 decision to Manhattan.
 
The Blackbirds are hitting .261 on the season and averaging three runs per game. Victoria Zamora leads the team with a .356 average and 15 runs scored.  Whitney West is hitting .355 with a team-best 38 hits, including four doubles, four triples and a home run, while driving in 11 runs and scoring 15.  West has stolen seven bases this year.  Ariana Lopez has hit three homers and driven in 18 runs, while Kayla Gloady has two home runs and 13 RBI to go with a .324 average,.
 
LIU has a team ERA of 4.91 and allows an opponent batting average of .343.  Erynn Sobieski leads the team with 25 appearances, including 17 starts.  She has a 6-14 record and 4.34 ERA in 111.1 innings.  Tallie Woodson has a 4-6 mark in 21 appearances, including twelve starts.  Woodson has a 5.50 ERA in 71.1 innings.
 
SCOUTING THE SEAHAWKS
Wagner is 11-12 this year.  The Seahawks face Saint Peter's on Thursday and Robert Morris on Saturday.  Last week, Wagner split a doubleheader with Yale, winning 5-1 and falling 1-0, and lost to St. John's, 11-3. 
 
The Seahawks are batting .287 as a team and averaging 4.14 runs per game. Brianna Tredway leads the team with a .333 average and has scored 14 runs, while Hana Gilbert has driven in 18 runs to go with a .290 average and two home runs.  Jessica Carlucci has a .322 average, while Karen Prihoda is batting .314.
 
Wagner has a team ERA of 3.83 and allows an opponent batting average of .288.   McKaleigh Goodale leading the staff with a 2.13 ERA in 12 appearances, covering 65.2 innings. She has a 5-4 record.  Morgan Brown has a 3.82 ERA in 69.2 innings and 14 appearances, including 10 starts.  Brown is 4-7 this season.