PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The Saint Francis softball team dropped two games in a doubleheader at Pitt on Wednesday.  The Red Flash fell 6-1 in the first game and 7-5 in the second game.  SFU had two hits in the first contest and 11 in the second.  SFU led 5-4 going into the bottom of the sixth in the second game, but the Panthers took the lead on a three-run home run and held on to win in the seventh.  Both teams utilized the long ball, with all runs on the day coming on a combined 11 homers.  The Red Flash is now 22-17 this season.
 
The Red Flash travels to Sacred Heart on Saturday for an NEC doubleheader.  The first game starts at 1 p.m.
 
First Game
 
Junior Ketarah DeVries (Forreston, Ill./Forreston) started for the Red Flash and suffered her third loss of the season.  DeVries threw 1.2 innings, allowing six runs on six hits, while striking out three and walking one.  Junior Ethel Santai (Pine Grove, Pa./Pine Grove Area) replaced DeVries in the second inning and finished the final 4.1 innings.  Santai held Pitt's offense in check, not allowing a run, while giving up only three hits.  She struck out one and walked two batters.
 
Jenna Modic earned the win for Pitt, throwing the first 3.1 innings, allowing one run on two hits, while striking out two and walking three.  Kayla Harris finished the game with 3.2 scoreless frames, including three strikeouts and two walks.
 
Sophomore Jordan Seneca (Plum, Pa./Plum) provided a spark for the SFU offense, connecting on a home run in the fourth inning and walking twice.  Freshman Cheyenne McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) also had a hit.
 
Seneca's home run was her 10th of the season.  She joined Hayley Norton (Spring Grove, Pa./Spring Grove) as Red Flash with double-digit home runs this year.  It marked the first time in SFU program history with two players hitting 10 or more home runs in a season.
 
Freshman Sierra McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois)'s walk to begin the game was the Red Flash's 164th this season, passing its single-season record for walks, topping 163 by last year's squad.
 
The Panthers' offense was led by three home runs, with Erin Hershman, McKayla Taylor and Giorgiana Zeremenko each hitting one.
 
The Panthers got on the board with four runs in the bottom of the first.  With two outs and runners on the corners, Zeremenko hit a three-run homer to left, also scoring Shelby Pickett and Jenna Modic.  Hershman followed with a home run to center to extend Pitt's lead to four.
 
Pitt added two runs in the bottom of the second.  With two outs, Taylor hit a two-run homer to left-center, also scoring Pickett.
 
The Red Flash got a run in the top of the fourth.  With one out, Seneca sent a shot over the wall in right-center.
 
Second Game
 
Junior Alexis Bower (Cogan Station, Pa./Williamsport Area) got the start for the Red Flash, going 5.2 innings. Bower allowed seven runs on nine hits.  She struck out three batters and walked two.  Junior Blaire Lauthers (Doylesburg, Pa./Fannett-Metal) pitched the final out of the sixth inning and allowed two walks.
 
Sarah Dawson started in the circle for the Panthers.  She threw the first 2.2 innings, allowing four runs on five hits and did not strikeout or walk a batter.  Kayla Harris picked up the win, throwing the last 4.1 frames, giving up one run on six hits, while striking out one.
 
Sophomore Madison Cabell (Ivor, Va./Southampton) connected on two home runs for a total of four RBI, while Jordan Seneca (Plum, Pa./Plum) went 3-for-3, including a homer.  Sierra McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) and Hayley Norton (Spring Grove, Pa./Spring Grove) each had two hits and scored a run.
 
Cabell had SFU's second two-homer game this year, joining Seneca on February 27 vs. Arizona State.
 
Giorgiana Zeremenko had another strong performance in game two.  She hit two home runs, accounting for three RBI. Morgan Sevilla added a three-run homer. Jenna Modic also had a homer.
 
The Red Flash jumped out to a two-run lead in the top of the first.  Sierra McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) led off the inning with a single up the middle. Three batters later, Cabell launched a fly ball to left field, which hit the top of the scoreboard.
 
Saint Francis added three runs in the top of the third.  After a one-out double to left by Hayley Norton (Spring Grove, Pa./Spring Grove), the sophomore, Cabell, crushed her second homer of the game, this time to right-center.  Seneca made it back-to-back homers with her own shot to right-center, giving SFU a 5-0 lead.
 
Pitt cut the Red Flash lead to three with home runs by Modic and Zeremenko to lead off the bottom of the fourth.
 
The Panthers added two runs on a two-out home run to left by Zeremenko in the bottom of the fifth.  The homer cut SFU's lead to 5-4.
 
Pitt took the lead in the bottom of the sixth on a two-out, three-run home run to left by Maggie Sevilla.