Flash Points:

• Saint Francis softball split two games with very close endings on Saturday at the Kickin' Chicken Classic, hosted by Coastal Carolina.
• The Red Flash won game one, 2-1, against Presbyterian with a go-ahead run in the sixth inning.
• Saint Francis rallied back from a five-run deficit and took the lead in game two against UNC Greensboro, but fell 9-8 on a walk-off single.
• SFU plays Coastal Carolina on Sunday at 12 p.m. to conclude the tournament on opening weekend.

CONWAY, S.C. – The Saint Francis Softball team battled through two extremely close endings on Saturday at the Kickin' Chicken Classic, hosted by Coastal Carolina.  The Red Flash pushed the go-ahead run across the plate in the sixth inning in a 2-1 victory against Presbyterian.  In game two, Saint Francis erased a 7-2 deficit, but fell on a walk-off single, 9-8, against UNC Greensboro.  The Red Flash is 2-2 after the first two days of the 2018 season.
 
Sophomore Taylor Hoover (Phillipsburg, Ohio/Northmont)'s pinch-hit sacrifice fly allowed pinch-runner freshman Brittney Crawford (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon McMillan) to tag and score from third for the go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth in game one against Presbyterian.
 
Junior Kassidy Troxell (Navarre, Ohio/Perry) hit a three-run homer to cut the deficit to two before senior Madison Cabell (Ivor, Va./Southampton)'s three-run bomb gave SFU an 8-7 lead in the sixth inning against UNC Greensboro.  However, the Spartans plated two runs in the bottom of the seventh to earn the win. 
 
The Red Flash concludes the tournament on Sunday against Coastal Carolina.  First pitch is scheduled for Noon, with a live stream on goCCUsports.com.
 
Game 1 – Presbyterian
Sophomore Adrian Smith (Clairsville, Ohio/St. Clairsville) started in the circle for the Red Flash.  She went 5.1 innings, allowing just one run on five hits, while striking out two and walking two.  Smith held the Blue Hose scoreless after a first inning run.  Sophomore Abby Trahan (Kaplan, La./Kaplan) replaced Smith in the sixth inning and shut down the PC offense, not allowing a baserunner while striking out two batters. 
 
Alex Cook got the start for Presbyterian, throwing three scoreless innings.  She gave up two hits and a walk, while striking out three.  Sarah Rasbottom entered the game in the fourth inning and allowed two runs on a hit and two walks over 2.1 innings.  Kaylee Allen finished the game for Presbyterian, walking a batter and allowing an inherited runner to score.
 
The Red Flash scored two runs on three hits, but took advantage of four walks and two hit batters.  Senior Jordan Seneca (Plum, Pa./Plum) had a single and a sac fly, while junior Mikayla Bower (Williamsport, Pa./Williamsport) and sophomore Halle Marion (Middletown, Pa./Middletown) each had a hit, with Marion adding a stolen base.  Freshman MeKenzie Saban (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) drew three walks and scored a run, while sophomore Taylor Hoover (Phillipsburg, Ohio/Northmont) had a pinch-hit sac fly and freshman Brittney Crawford (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon McMillan) scored a run.
 
Jonnie Petree had a hit and a run and Megan Anderson had an RBI single to lead the Blue Hose offense.  Chelsea Lyons, Macy Hyatt and Lindsay Harris each collected a base hit.
 
The Blue Hose got on the board in the top of the first.  The leadoff hitter, Petree, reached on an infield single, with a throwing error allowing her to go to second on the play.  After a sacrifice bunt pushed Petree to third, Anderson ripped a single to the wall in center to plate Petree and take a 1-0 lead.
 
The Red Flash tied the game in the bottom of the fifth.  Saban drew a walk to leadoff the inning.  A sacrifice bunt by Marion pushed Saban to second.  The next batter, Sierra McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois), drew a walk, with the final pitch of her at-bat going to the backstop to allow Saban to move to third.  With runners on the corners, Cheyenne McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Seneca.  The senior hit a pop up to foul territory in short left field.  Presbyterian's shortstop caught the ball, but Saban tagged at third and beat the throw home to even the game at 1-1.
 
Saint Francis took the lead in the bottom of the sixth.  Madison Cabell (Ivor, Va./Southampton) was hit by a pitch to begin the inning.  After Kassidy Troxell (Navarre, Ohio/Perry) grounded into a fielder's choice, Bower singled through the left side of the infield.  Saban drew another walk to push pinch-runner Crawford to third and Bower to second.  Pinch-hitter Taylor Hoover (Phillipsburg, Ohio/Northmont) hit a fly ball to shallow center field, allowing Crawford tag and score to give the Red Flash a 2-1 advantage.
 
Game 2 – UNC Greensboro
Abby Trahan (Kaplan, La./Kaplan) received the start in game two for the Red Flash.  The sophomore threw 6.1 innings, allowing nine runs, seven earned, on eight hits.  She struck out four batters and walked four.  After giving up seven runs in the first three innings, Trahan held the Spartans scoreless through the next three innings to allow SFU to re-take the lead.  Adrian Smith (Clairsville, Ohio/St. Clairsville) entered the game with one out in the seventh and allowed a hit.
 
Freshman Hannah Stiltner started in the circle for UNC Greensboro.  She gave up seven runs, five earned, in 4.1 innings of work. Stiltner struck out three and walked three.  Kylie Bouplon replaced Stiltner with one out in the fifth but did not record an out as she allowed a run on two hits.  Stephanie Bryden threw the final 2.2 innings for the Spartans, walking one and striking out six.
 
Madison Cabell (Ivor, Va./Southampton) and Kassidy Troxell (Navarre, Ohio/Perry) led the Red Flash offense, with each player hitting a three-run homer.  Cabell drove in four runs in the game, with Troxell blasting a pinch-hit homer.  Mikayla Bower (Williamsport, Pa./Williamsport) added two hits, including a double, and a run, while Jordan Seneca (Plum, Pa./Plum) contributed a double and two runs.  Cheyenne and Sierra McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) each had a hit and a run.
 
UNC Greensboro's offense was led by senior Rachael McClaskey, who hit a three-run homer.  Sophomore Kayleigh Willis collected three hits, including a double, scored two runs and drove in a run.  Junior Marisa Sholtes added two hits and two runs. 
 
The Red Flash jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning.  Cheyenne McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) lined the first pitch she saw to left field and moved up to third on a throwing error.  Seneca then drew a walk and stole second to put two runners in scoring position.  Two batters later, Cabell hit a groundball to the shortstop as McKee beat the throw home for SFU's first run.  With Brittney Crawford (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon McMillan) at the plate, Cabell got caught in a rundown between first and second base and stayed alive long enough for Seneca to cross the plate.
 
The Spartans answered with four runs in the bottom of the first, all with two outs in the inning.  After a single by Sholtes put runners on first and second, Willis followed with a line drive to the left field fence for a double to drive in a run. The next batter, McClaskey sent a pitch over the wall in right-center for a three-run homer to give UNCG a 4-2 lead going into the second inning.
 
UNC Greensboro added three runs in the bottom of the third.  With two runners on base, Willis singled to left as Gabrielle Cubbage scored from second.  After a hit batter loaded the bases, pinch-hitter Melanie Darges drove in Sholtes with a bloop single that landed just inside the right field line.  Two batters later, Jasmine Palmer was hit by a pitch to allow Willis to score from third and extend UNCG's lead to 7-2.
 
The Red Flash cut the deficit to 7-5 in the top of the fourth on a three-run bomb by Troxell.  With one out, Bower sent a grounder through the left side.  Two batters later, Taylor Hoover (Phillipsburg, Ohio/Northmont) drew a walk.  Troxell, a pinch-hitter, came to the plate and sent the first pitch she saw over the wall in center for her second homer of the year.
 
Saint Francis re-took the lead in the top of the fifth on another three-run homer, this time by Cabell. With one out, Seneca roped a double to the wall in right.  Sierra McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) followed with a line drive single to left.  Battling to a 3-2 count, Cabell hit a moonshot over the left field fence to give the Red Flash an 8-7 advantage.
 
With one out in the bottom of the seventh, the Spartans' Emily Acquaviva reached on an error. Alexis Overdiep and Rebecca Kale were hit by pitches to load the bases.  Palmer then sent a groundball to second and Acquaviva beat the throw home to tie the game at 8-8.  Makenna Matthijs followed with a fly ball to the ball to drive in Overdiep for the game-winning run.