Flash Points:

• SFU Softball recorded two shutout wins on Friday at the Pirate Invitational, hosted by East Carolina.
• The Red Flash defeated Canisius, 1-0, in game one and ECU, 2-0, in game two, and has won four straight games.
• SFU has posted three straight shutout wins, including a 1-0 win over Maryland last Sunday, and has not allowed an earned run in 28 straight innings.
• Adrian Smith (Clairsville, Ohio/St. Clairsville) threw a complete game in game one, giving up just four hits, while Abby Trahan (Kaplan, La./Kaplan) pitched a complete game in game two, giving up just three hits.
• Hayley Norton (Spring Grove, Pa./Spring Grove) hit a solo homer in game two to lead the SFU offense.

GREENVILLE, N.C. – The Saint Francis Softball team posted back-to-back shutouts to earn a sweep on day one of the Pirate Invitational.  The Red Flash earned a 1-0 win over Canisius in game one and a 2-0 victory in game two against East Carolina.  Saint Francis improved to 7-5 overall with its fourth straight win.
 
In game one, Adrian Smith (Clairsville, Ohio/St. Clairsville) threw a complete-game for Saint Francis' third shutout of the season, joining SFU's 6-0 win over Presbyterian and 1-0 win over Maryland. 
 
The Red Flash quickly added its fourth shutout of the season, with seven shutout innings by Abby Trahan (Kaplan, La./Kaplan).  Saint Francis has not allowed an earned run in 28 straight innings.  SFU also did not allow an earned run in an 8-1 victory against Georgia State. 
 
Saint Francis posted its fourth shutout in its first 12 games of the season for just the third time in program history, joining the 1989 and 2017 teams.
 
SFU has recorded three straight shutout wins for the first time since posting three straight shutouts on April 26-29 with two in a doubleheader vs. Penn State (2-0, 1-0) and another in a five-inning, 8-0 win over Sacred Heart.
 
The Red Flash continues the Pirate Invitational on Saturday with matchups against Ball State (10 a.m.) and Canisius (3 p.m.).  The tournament concludes on Sunday with an 11:30 a.m. contest against East Carolina.
 
Game 1 – Canisius
Sophomore Adrian Smith (Clairsville, Ohio/St. Clairsville) started in the circle for the Red Flash.  She fired a complete-game shutout for the second time this season and went seven innings without allowing an earned run for the third time this year.  Smith gave up just four hits and two walks, while striking out five to move to 3-1 this season.  Smith allowed more than one baserunner in just two innings.
 
Canisius senior Erika Mackie made the start in the circle.  Mackie threw six innings, allowing an unearned run on two hits and two walks, while striking out three. 
 
Saint Francis scored a run on just two hits, but took advantage of three errors by Canisius.  Junior Kassidy Troxell (Navarre, Ohio/Perry) hit a double in the sixth inning and Sierra McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) had a single in the third.  Freshman MeKenzie Saban (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) hit a sac fly in the fifth to score Tayven Rousseau (Beaver, Pa./Beaver) for the go-ahead run.
 
Canisius had four hits on the day.  Junior Destiny Holani collected two hits for the Golden Griffins.  Gianna Delgaltini and Lauren Castro added singles.
 
The Red Flash got on the board in the bottom of the fifth. With one out, pinch-hitter Ashley Sheetz (Hampton Township, Pa./Hampton) drew a walk in her first career at-bat.  Sierra McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) then hit a grounder to third, with a wild throw to second allowing pinch-runner Rousseau to go to third.  Saban, pinch-hitting, hit a fly ball to left, with Rousseau sliding under the tag at home for SFU's first run of the game. 
 
Canisius threatened to score in the top of the fifth.  Leadoff batter Destiny Holani hit a single to right.  A sacrifice bunt by Denver Keller pushed pinch-runner Erin Hufford to second and a grounder by Lindsi Dennis moved Hufford to third.  However, a grounder to Mikayla Bower (Williamsport, Pa./Williamsport) ended the inning.
 
Saint Francis put two runners on in the bottom of the sixth.  Troxell led off the inning by hitting a liner to the wall in right for a double.  Madison Cabell (Ivor, Va./Southampton) followed by drawing a walk to put runners on first and second.  However, a popout and a runner caught stealing ended the inning.
 
The Golden Griffins had a pair of runners on base in the top of the seventh.  With one out, Holani reached on an error.  Two batters later, Castro sent a groundball through the left side for a single.  However, Smith recorded her fifth strikeout of the day to end the game.
 
Game 2 – East Carolina
Sophomore Abby Trahan (Kaplan, La./Kaplan) followed Smith's impressive performance with one of her own.  Trahan threw a complete-game shutout, allowing just three hits and four walks, while striking out one.  The Louisiana native retired the final 10 batters she faced. ECU only had three batters reach base after the second inning.
 
Freshman Whitney Sanford started for the Pirates.  In six innings, she gave up two runs on four hits, with two strikeouts and two walks.  Fellow rookie Erin Poepping pitched the seventh inning, allowing a hit and a walk and striking out a batter.
 
Saint Francis tallied five hits on two runs.  Junior Hayley Norton (Spring Grove, Pa./Spring Grove) led the offense with a solo homer.  Sierra McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) reached base three times, including a single and a double, and scored a run.  Cheyenne McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) added an RBI single and Brianna Walker (Walworth, N.Y./Gananda) collected her first career hit, with a pinch-hit single.
 
East Carolina had just three hits.  Freshman Tyler King, sophomore Tate McClellan and sophomore Kendra Ziemba all had singles.
 
The Red Flash got on the board in the top of the first.  With one out, Norton sent a 2-2 pitch over the wall in left field for a solo homer.  It was Norton's second of the year and gave SFU a 1-0 advantage.
 
Saint Francis extended its lead to 2-0 in the second inning.  Sierra McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) led off the inning with a soft liner to right for a single.  Two batters later, Taylor Hoover (Phillipsburg, Ohio/Northmont) dropped down a bunt to push McKee to second.  Cheyenne McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) followed with a line drive to left that hit off of the top of the wall for a double to allow her sister to cross the plate.
 
The Pirates loaded the bases in the bottom of the first.  Walks drawn by King and Meredith Burroughs and a single by McClellan set up Ashleigh Inae with two outs, but a groundout back to Trahan ended the inning.
 
East Carolina put runners on second and third in the bottom of the second.  Ziemba led off the inning with a single to center and an error moved her to second and allowed Olivia Narron to reach first.  A groundout pushed the runners to second and third, but a flyout finished the frame.
 
The Red Flash threatened to score in the top of the seventh.  Sierra McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) drew a walk to start the inning.  Two batters later, Walker, pinch-hitting, sent a grounder through the left side to put runners on the corners.  Pinch-runner Brittney Crawford (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon McMillan) stole second, but a runner caught stealing and a strikeout ended the inning.