Flash Points:

• SFU Softball had a strong start to NEC play on Saturday, sweeping Mount St. Mary's.
• The Red Flash recorded back-to-back run-rule shutouts, winning 10-0 and 8-0, both in five innings.
• SFU has now won 21 straight NEC regular season games.
• The Red Flash hit seven homers on Saturday, with three in game one and four in game two, from seven different players.
• Saint Francis hit back-to-back homers twice in game two to improve to 18-15 overall.

LORETTO, Pa. – The Saint Francis Softball team started off NEC play with a dominating performance.  The Red Flash posted two run-rule shutouts to sweep Mount St. Mary's in its NEC opener.  Saint Francis won 10-0 in five innings in game one and 8-0 in five innings in game two.  The Red Flash improved to 18-15 overall, while Mount St. Mary's dropped to 8-16 on the season.
 
With today's wins, the Red Flash has now won 21 straight regular season NEC games, dating back to the 2016 season.  SFU's last NEC regular season loss came on May 5, 2015 vs. Central Connecticut State.
 
SFU recorded back-to-back shutout wins in an NEC opener for the first time since 2014 vs. Robert Morris, when it won 5-0 and 2-0. 
 
This marks SFU's first back-to-back run-rule wins in an NEC opener and its first back-to-back run-rule performances in an NEC series since April 22, 2017 at Bryant.  SFU recorded back-to-back shutouts in a series for the first time since April 26, 2017 at Penn State.
 
The Red Flash hit seven homers on Saturday, with three in the first game and four in the second game.  SFU is now up to 36 homers on the season and tied a season game-high with four in game two.  The seven homers on Saturday came from seven different hitters. 
 
Saint Francis started out game two with back-to-back homers by Cheyenne McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) and Hayley Norton (Spring Grove, Pa./Spring Grove).  Later in the game, Mikayla Bower (Williamsport, Pa./Williamsport) and Jordan Seneca (Plum, Pa./Plum) went back-to-back.  It's the first time SFU has had two back-to-back home run sequences since April 23, 2016 vs. Bryant
 
The Red Flash visits Marshall on Tuesday for a midweek non-conference matchup.  A doubleheader will begin at 1 p.m.
 
Game 1
Sophomore Abby Trahan (Kaplan, La./Kaplan) started in the circle for the Red Flash and fired five scoreless innings.  She allowed only one hit and struck out five batters.  Trahan retired 13 straight batters to begin the game, with a perfect game being broken up with one out in the fifth.  Trahan is now 13-10 on the season.
 
Jordan Weaver got the start in the circle for the Mountaineers.  In four innings, she allowed five runs on three hits, while striking out three and walking four.  Kate Olson entered the game after two batters in the fifth and gave up five runs on four hits and a walk.
 
The Red Flash collected 10 runs on seven hits, including three home runs.  Senior Madison Cabell (Ivor, Va./Southampton) went two-for-two with a solo homer and an RBI single and scored two runs. Sophomore Taylor Hoover (Phillipsburg, Ohio/Northmont) blasted a three-run homer to end the game.  Sierra McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) hit a three-run homer and scored two runs, while Mikayla Bower (Williamsport, Pa./Williamsport) had two hits, including a two-run double.
 
Mount St. Mary's only hit came on a single to left by Kate Wade.
 
The Red Flash got on the board in the bottom of the first.  With two outs, Cabell was hit by a pitch before Sierra McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) drew a walk to put two runners on for Bower.  The junior drove a 2-2 pitch to center to plate Cabell and McKee and give SFU a 2-0 lead.
 
Saint Francis extended its lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the third.  With two outs, Cabell sent a 3-2 pitch over the wall in center.  Her ninth dinger of the season gave SFU a three-run advantage.
 
The Red Flash earned a run-rule victory with seven runs in the fifth.  Cheyenne McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) led off the inning with a single to right with a walk drawn by Hayley Norton (Spring Grove, Pa./Spring Grove) putting runners on first and second.  Cabell followed with a single up the middle to drive in McKee.  On a 3-2 pitch, Sierra McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) sent a fly ball to right for a three-run dinger, her fourth of the season.  After a single by Bower, a stolen base by pinch-runner MeKenzie Saban (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) and a walk by Seneca, Hoover ended the game by sending a 3-2 pitch over the wall in left. 
 
Game 2
Sophomore Adrian Smith (Clairsville, Ohio/St. Clairsville) led the Red Flash to a win in game two with her own solid performance in the circle.  Smith allowed just four hits and struck out five batters.  She retired the first eight batters of the game and allowed more than one baserunner in just one inning.
 
Mount St. Mary's started freshman Amanda Berkley in the circle.  In two innings, she allowed five runs on seven hits and two walks.  Jordan Weaver replaced Berkley after five batters in the third.  Weaver gave up three runs on two hits and two walks over two innings. 
 
The Red Flash tallied eight runs on nine hits, including a season high-tying four homers.  Mikayla Bower (Williamsport, Pa./Williamsport) led the offense with a three-for-three performance, including a two-run homer and an RBI single to go with two runs scored.  Jordan Seneca (Plum, Pa./Plum) had two hits, including a two-run double and a solo homer.  Cheyenne McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) and Hayley Norton (Spring Grove, Pa./Spring Grove) added solo homers.
 
The Red Flash jumped out to a two-run lead in the bottom of the first on back-to-back homers.  Cheyenne McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) blasted a 1-1 pitch over the wall in left to start the inning.  Norton followed by lining a 2-2 pitch over the wall in center.  It was the fifth homer of the season for both players. 
 
Saint Francis added three runs in the third inning.  Madison Cabell (Ivor, Va./Southampton) drew a walk to leadoff the inning.  Sierra McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) followed with a double to center to put runners on second and third.  Bower then roped a liner to center to score pinch-runner Brittney Crawford (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon McMillan).  On a 1-0 pitch, Seneca hit a line drive to left to drive in McKee and Bower and extend SFU's lead to 5-0.
 
The Red Flash drove in three more runs in the bottom of the fourth.  Cabell worked a walk with one out.  Two batters later, Bower launched a fly ball over the wall in center for a two-run shot, her fifth of the year.  Seneca made it back-to-back homers for the second time in the game, with a solo dinger to left, her third of the season.  SFU led 8-0 after four innings.