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Lynchburg, Va. - The Saint Francis softball team (16-8) will take its four-game winning streak into the Liberty Classic this week. The tournament start date has been moved to Thursday, Mar. 9 in anticipation of inclement weather on Sunday. The Red Flash will play two games on Thursday, two on Friday and one on Saturday.

Scouting Rhode Island

Rhode Island is 1-9 to start the season, its only win coming over Incarnate Word. Erika Yeager (.370) and Kylie Shivery (.367) are the team's top hitters while Melanie Martire (Herndon, Va./Herndon) has slugged three home runs. The Rams have a team era of 9.25. None of their pitchers have an era under 7.0.

Scouting Liberty

Liberty enters the week with a 9-10 record but four of its 10 loss have come to teams ranked in the top 10 in the national rankings. Six Liberty hitters are batting over .300 paced by Autum Bishop at .367. Her sister Amber Bishop may be the team's most dangerous offensive threat with a .344 average and team-high three home runs and 17 rbi. Julia DiMartino owns a 2-3 record and 1.67 era with two complete games.

North Carolina Central

This will be the second meeting of the season between the programs with Saint Francis winning 6-0 in what was both teams' season openers. Jordan Seneca (Plum, Pa./Plum) homered and Ketarah DeVries (Forreston, Ill./Forreston) allowed just one hit and struck out 10 in five innings in the win. The Eagles are 2-13 and led by Mariam Duen, a .313 hitter. Dominique Wilson is 2-7 in the circle with a 5.06 era.

Pitching Paces SFU

Dominant pitching helped Saint Francis right the ship on its 10-day Texas trip as the Red Flash won the final four games to go 8-6. Seniors Ketarah DeVries (Forreston, Ill./Forreston) and Ethel Santai (Pine Grove, Pa./Pine Grove Area) and freshman Abby Trahan (Kaplan, La./Kaplan) were all spectacular in the circle, especially in the UT Arlington Tournament. In five games, Saint Francis pitchers allowed just 10 runs, only five earned. The staff era is 2.50 on the season.

Seneca Knocking on the Door

Thanks to a Texas surge in power, junior Jordan Seneca (Plum, Pa./Plum) is knocking on the door of becoming the program's all-time career home run leader. She needs one to tie and two to pass the 15 year-old record held by Jamie Krusinsky, who hit 30 from 1999-2002. Seneca is tied-for-fourth nationally with East Carolina's Alex Mycek with nine home runs. Twenty-seven of her 29 home runs have come in her sophomore and junior seasons. 

Long Ball Powers Saint Francis

The Saint Francis offense is predicated on being able to hit the ball out of the park. Saint Francis is 13-2 in games in which it hits a home run. The Red Flash have homered in six of its last seven games, including hitting a season-high four home runs vs. Incarnate Word in its last game. Eight players have hit home runs this season.

Schedule
Thursday, Mar. 9
Saint Francis vs. Rhode Island - 4:30 p.m. 
Saint Francis at Liberty - 7 p.m.

Friday, Mar. 10
Saint Francis vs. NC Central - 10 a.m.
Saint Francis at Liberty - 3 p.m.

Saturday, Mar. 11
Saint Francis vs. Rhode Island - 11:30 a.m.