Game 1
 
BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The Saint Francis softball team fell 5-1 to LIU Brooklyn in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader.  The Red Flash dropped its first game of Northeast Conference play as it totaled only four hits.  SFU is now 18-14 on the season, while the Blackbirds improved to 12-21.
 
Junior Alexis Bower (Cogan Station, Pa./Williamsport Area) started in the circle for the Red Flash.  Bower pitched 4.1 innings, allowing five runs on nine hits, while striking out five and walking one. Bower held LIU scoreless in three of the five innings she pitched. Blaire Lauthers (Doylesburg, Pa./Fannett-Metal) finished the game with 1.2 innings, allowing two hits and striking out one.
 
Erynn Sobieski threw a complete game for LIU Brooklyn.  In seven innings, Sobieski struck out eight and did not walk a batter.
 
Freshman Kassidy Troxell (Navarre, Ohio/Perry) hit her second home run of the season for the Red Flash.  Hayley Norton (Spring Grove, Pa./Spring Grove) added two hits and Mikayla Bower (Williamsport, Pa./Williamsport) had one knock.
 
Troxell's home run was the 34th of the season for Saint Francis.  That broke the single-season record at SFU, breaking a tie with the 2008 team.
 
Victoria Zamora had two home runs for the Blackbirds and Angie Vazquez added a home run.
 
After being held scoreless for the first 2.2 innings, LIU Brooklyn got the game's first run on a two-out homer to center by Victoria Zamora in the bottom of the third.  The Blackbirds added a run after three straight singles, with Angie Vazquez's single to center driving in Celinna Cosio.  LIU led 2-0.
 
The Red Flash responded with a run in the top of the fourth.  With two outs, Troxell hit a laser over the left field wall to cut the deficit to one.
 
Zamora hit another home run for LIU in the bottom of the fifth, this time to left field.  After a one-out double by Kylie Mulholland, Angie Vazquez homered to left to put the Blackbirds up 5-1.
 
Game 2
 
BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The Saint Francis softball team defeated LIU Brooklyn, 6-0, in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader on NEC opening weekend.  The Red Flash had eight hits, including two home runs, to improve to 19-14 on the year.  LIU Brooklyn is now 12-22.
 
Junior Ketarah DeVries (Forreston, Ill./Forreston) posted her second straight complete-game shutout.  She allowed only four hits, while striking out eight and walking four.  LIU did not have an extra base hit and only had one baserunner reach third base.  DeVries now has a streak of 16.2 shutout innings over her last three starts.  She has allowed only one run in her last 24 innings.
 
Erynn Sobieski started the second game as well.  She pitched two innings, allowing four runs on four hits, with three strikeouts. Tallie Woodson threw the final five innings, giving up two runs on four hits, while striking out five and walking two.
 
Sophomore Jordan Seneca (Plum, Pa./Plum) led the Saint Francis offense with two hits and three RBI.  She hit her eighth homer of the year and scored two runs.  Freshman Hayley Norton (Spring Grove, Pa./Spring Grove) also homered and Cheyenne McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) drove in a run.  Junior Alexis Bower (Cogan Station, Pa./Williamsport Area) added two hits, including a double.
 
The Red Flash got on the board with three runs in the top of the second.  After singles to left by Madison Cabell (Ivor, Va./Southampton) and Kassidy Troxell (Navarre, Ohio/Perry) to begin the inning, Seneca sent a 3-2 pitch over the left field wall for a three-run homer. 
 
Saint Francis added a run in the top of the third.  Leading off the inning, Hayley Norton (Spring Grove, Pa./Spring Grove) sent a 1-0 pitch over the wall in left center.  SFU led 4-0 after Norton's eighth home run of the season.
 
The Red Flash got two more runs in the top of the sixth.  A walk by Troxell, a single by Seneca and a walk by Mikayla Bower (Williamsport, Pa./Williamsport) loaded the bases.  With one out, a sacrifice fly to right by Cheyenne McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) allowed Seneca to cross the plate.  With Sierra McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) batting, SFU ran a steal play which resulted in Cheyenne McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) on second and Bower stealing home to give Saint Francis a 6-0 advantage.
 
The Red Flash continues its NEC opening weekend on Sunday at Wagner.  The first game of the doubleheader begins at Noon.