Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

Saint Francis University Athletics

Seneca NCAA
Junior Jordan Seneca hit a two-run homer on Friday
2
Saint Francis SFU 48-10
12
Winner South Carolina SC 33-23
Saint Francis SFU
48-10
2
Final
12
South Carolina SC
33-23
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 R H E
Saint Francis SFU 0 0 0 0 2 2 4 0
South Carolina SC 3 1 5 0 3 12 8 2

W: Cayla Drotar (7-4) L: Santai, Ethel (18-2)

Game Recap: Softball | | Paul Marboe

Seneca Hits 22nd Homer As Softball Falls 12-2 Against South Carolina In NCAA Regional

Flash Points:
  • SFU Softball fell 12-2 in five innings against No. 2 seed South Carolina on Friday in Game One of the Tucson Regional.
  • The Red Flash, the No. 3 seed, will play again on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. MT against an opponent to be determined.
  • Junior Jordan Seneca (Plum, Pa./Plum) hit her 22nd home run of the season and drove in two runs to set a new NEC season RBI record.
  • The Red Flash snapped a 21-game win streak and is now 48-10 on the season.
Tournament Central | WatchESPN | Live Stats

TUCSON, Ariz. –
Junior Jordan Seneca (Plum, Pa./Plum) hit her 22nd home run of the season for Saint Francis Softball's first ever NCAA Tournament runs, but the Red Flash fell 12-2 in five innings against No. 2 seed South Carolina on Friday at the University of Arizona's Hillenbrand Stadium.  The Red Flash, the No. 3 seed, snapped a 21-game win streak as it suffered its first run-rule loss of the season.
 
The Red Flash, led by Head Coach Jennifer Patrick-Swift, is now 48-10 on the season.  The loss to South Carolina was SFU's first in seven or less innings since March 1 against North Texas.  SFU has still won 36 of its last 38 games.
 
Saint Francis will play in Saturday's second game, with first pitch scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. MT.  The Red Flash will meet the loser between Arizona, the No. 1 seed, and New Mexico State, the No. 4 seed.  The game will be played on an ESPN Network to be determined.  If SFU wins that game, they would play again at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. MT against the loser of Saturday's first game.
 
Senior Ethel Santai (Pine Grove, Pa./Pine Grove Area) started in the circle for the Red Flash.  Santai gave up three runs on two hits before freshman Abby Trahan (Kaplan, La./Kaplan) replaced her.  Trahan went 2.2 innings, allowing six runs on three hits and three walks, while striking out one.  Senior Ketarah DeVries (Forreston, Ill./Forreston) replaced Trahan with two outs in the third inning and went 1.2 innings, giving up three runs on three hits, while striking out two batters and walking one. The Red Flash staff hit five batters in the game, which led to three South Carolina runs, and four walks led to two USC runs.
 
Freshman Cayla Drotar got the start for South Carolina and went all five innings.  Drotar allowed two unearned runs on four hits, with a strikeout and two walks.
 
Seneca led the Red Flash offense, with a two-run homer in the fifth inning.  It was Seneca's 22nd of the season, extending her SFU and NEC records.  With two RBI, Seneca now has 66 on the season, giving her sole possession of the NEC season record, breaking a tie with Monmouth's Heather Gordon (2007).
 
Freshman Halle Marion (Middletown, Pa./Middletown) went two-for-two, with two singles.  Sophomore Cheyenne McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) had a single, a stolen base and a run. 
 
South Carolina was led by freshman Mackenzie Boesel, who went three-for-three with two homers, including a grand slam, and a USC game-record eight RBI.  The Gamecocks hit four home runs on the day, with junior Alyssa VanDerveer and senior Victoria Williams each hitting one.
 
The Red Flash threatened to score in the top of the first.  In the program's first ever NCAA Tournament at-bat, McKee lined a single to left.  On the first pitch of the next at-bat, McKee stole second and eventually moved to third on a wild pickoff throw that sailed into center field.  However, two groundouts ended the inning and the SFU threat.
 
The Gamecocks got on the board with three runs in the bottom of the first. Boesel lined a double to the gap in left-center to bring in Tiara Duffy, who was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning.  Williams followed by hitting a fly ball over the wall in center for a two-run homer, which gave USC a 3-0 lead.
 
South Carolina added a run in the bottom of the second.  With the bases loaded, Williams drew a walk to plate Jordyn Augustus, who had reached on a hit-by-pitch.  The Gamecocks led 4-0 after two innings.
 
Saint Francis put two runners on base in the top of the third.  Marion beat out an infield single to the pitcher to start the inning.  Three batters later, Seneca drew a walk to put runners on first and second, but a groundout ended the inning.
 
The Gamecocks added five runs in the bottom of the third on two homers.  VanDeveer led off the inning with a line-drive homer to left.  Augustus reached on an infield single, Taylor Williams was hit by a pitch and Duffy drew a walk to load the bases for Boesel, who hit a fly ball over the wall in left center for a grand slam to put USC ahead 9-0.
 
With two outs in the top of the fifth, the Red Flash got on the board on a two-run homer by Seneca.  Marion reached on an infield single to the shortstop to start the inning.  However, she was caught stealing for the first out of the inning.  With two outs, McKee reached on an error by the South Carolina shortstop as a grounder went through her legs.  On a 3-2 pitch, Seneca crushed one that cleared the stands in left field for a two-run homer to cut the SFU deficit to 9-2.
 
South Carolina clinched a run-rule victory with a three-run homer in the bottom of the fifth.  With one out and two runners on, Boesel hit a fly ball off the batter's eye in center to end the game. 

 
Print Friendly Version