Flash Points:

• SFU Softball is set to begin the NEC Tournament on Thursday at Noon against LIU Brooklyn.
• The Red Flash is the top seed in the tournament after going undefeated in NEC play, for the second straight year.
• Saint Francis is 36-17 overall, while riding a 16-game win streak and a 35-game NEC win streak, both top streaks in the country.
• SFU is tied for second in the nation in homers, with 73, and leads the nation with eight grand slams.
• Central Connecticut State (No. 2 seed), Sacred Heart (No. 3) and LIU Brooklyn (No. 4) join SFU in the tournament.

Game Notes | Live Stats | NEC Front Row (Thursday)
 
LORETTO, Pa. – The Saint Francis Softball team is set to host the NEC Tournament, beginning on Thursday.  The Red Flash earned the right to host by winning its second straight NEC Regular Season Title off its second consecutive undefeated NEC Regular Season.  The Red Flash will face LIU Brooklyn at Noon on Thursday in the first game of the tournament.
 
The Red Flash, led by Head Coach Jennifer Patrick-Swift, is 36-17 overall and 16-0 in the NEC heading into this week's NEC Tournament after sweeping FDU on Monday.  The Red Flash enters the tournament with a 16-game win streak and has won 35 consecutive NEC games, both nation-leading streaks.
 
Tickets are $6 for adults, $3 for ages 18 and under, and children ages 10 and under get in free.  For more ticket info, please call 814-472-3286.
 
NEC TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

Thursday, May 10	12 p.m. 3 p.m.	Game 1 Game 2	No. 1 Saint Francis vs. No. 4 LIU Brooklyn No. 2 Central Connecticut State vs. No. 3 Sacred Heart
Friday, May 11	10 a.m. 1 p.m. 4 p.m.	Game 3 Game 4 Game 5	Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser (elimination game) Game 4 winner vs. Game 3 loser (elimination game)
Saturday, May 12	12 p.m. 2:30 p.m.	Game 6 Game 7	Game 3 winner vs. Game 5 winner (championship game) Game 3 winner vs. Game 5 winner (if necessary)
Sunday, May 13			Rain date, if necessary

NEC REGULAR SEASON CHAMPIONS
The Red Flash has clinched its second straight NEC Regular Season Title with a 16-0 record.  The NEC Tournament will be hosted in Loretto for the second year in a row.

The Red Flash currently has the longest conference win streak in Division I.  Saint Francis has won 35 straight NEC games dating back to the 2016 season.  SFU is tied with Fresno State (1999-00) for the sixth-longest streak.  With its next NEC win, the Red Flash will tie Florida State (2016-18) for the fifth-longest streak.  SFU is two wins away from tying Florida (2008-9) for the fourth-longest streak.

SFU's last NEC loss came on May 13, 2016 in the NEC Tournament vs. Robert Morris.  SFU's last NEC regular season loss came on May 5, 2016 against Central Connecticut State.  Of those 35 wins, 12 have come by run-rule and 11 have been shutouts.  Saint Francis is averaging eight runs per game in NEC play this season and has more homers (37) in    conference games than any other NEC team has in its entire season.
 
ALL-NEC AWARDS
Seven Red Flash earned All-NEC honors on Wednesday, led by Player of the Year Cheyenne McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) and Co-Pitcher of the Year Abby Trahan (Kaplan, La./Kaplan).  McKee is SFU's second NEC Player of the Year in program history.  Trahan is the Red Flash's second straight NEC Pitcher of the Year.  McKee batted a team-best .359 with eight homers, 34 RBI and 47 runs this season, while Trahan is 27-11 with a 2.28 ERA in 42 appearances.  Trahan is 11-0 against NEC opponents, while McKee batted .511 in NEC play.

Madison Cabell (Ivor, Va./Southampton) collected First Team honors for the fourth time in her career, the first NEC player to accomplish that.  Joining Cabell, McKee and Trahan on First Team was junior Hayley Norton (Spring Grove, Pa./Spring Grove).  Cabell leads the NEC in homers (17), RBI (53) and slugging percentage (.696), while batting .321.  Norton has 12 homers and 44 RBI this season.

Earning Second Team accolades were Sierra McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois), Jordan Seneca (Plum, Pa./Plum) and Kassidy Troxell (Navarre, Ohio/Perry). McKee is batting .323 with seven homers and 25 RBI, while Seneca has five homers, 15 RBI and 19 steals.  Troxell has seven homers and 32 RBI this year.

SFU has collected 21 All-NEC, including 13 First Team, selections since 2016.  In that time, SFU has won two Player of the Year, two Pitcher of the Year, two Rookie of the Year awards and a Gold Glove award.

SECOND NATIONALLY IN HOMERS
With six homers on Monday, the Red Flash now has 73 homers this season, just eight homers away from the program and NEC record set in 2016.  The Red Flash is tied for second in Division I, behind Coastal Carolina (75) and tied with James Madison (73). SFU ranks fourth in the nation in home runs per game, with 1.37.

Madison Cabell (Ivor, Va./Southampton) paces the NEC in homers (17) and RBI (53).  Hayley Norton (Spring Grove, Pa./Spring Grove) has 12 bombs, while Mikayla Bower (Williamsport, Pa./Williamsport) has 10, Cheyenne McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) has eight and Sierra McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) and Kassidy Troxell (Navarre, Ohio/Perry) have seven each.  Jordan Seneca (Plum, Pa./Plum) is right behind with five.

Saint Francis and Wichita State are the only teams in DI that have six players with at least six homers. SFU is one of eight teams with three players over 10 homers.
 
GRAND SLAMS
Not only does the Red Flash hit a lot of home runs, but they also like to hit them with the bases loaded.  According to NFCA data, Saint Francis leads Division I with eight grand slams this season, including Kassidy Troxell (Navarre, Ohio/Perry)'s blast against Fairleigh Dickinson.  Troxell also hit one against Georgia State, sharing the team lead with Madison Cabell (Ivor, Va./Southampton), who hit slams against LIU Brooklyn and Robert Morris.  Hayley Norton (Spring Grove, Pa./Spring Grove) hit slams in back-to-back games against Bryant and CCSU.  Sierra McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) hit one at Marshall and Cheyenne McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) hit a grand slam at Penn State.
 
RECORDS WATCH
Several Red Flash already own SFU career records or are approaching career records. On Monday, Madison Cabell (Ivor, Va./Southampton) set a new career hits record and now has 199 career knocks, passing Taylor Parsons (196, 2012-15).  She also owns the SFU career RBI (184) record and ranks second all-time in doubles (48), walks (88) and home runs (39). 

Jordan Seneca (Plum, Pa./Plum) has SFU career marks for home runs (47), runs (177), walks (151) and last Wednesday became the all-time steals leader with her 54th career swipe.  She's also second with 154 RBI. Hayley Norton (Spring Grove, Pa./Spring Grove) is third in homers (38) and fourth in runs (121) and third in RBI (147).

Cheyenne McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) is second with 152 runs and fifth with 175 hits, while Sierra McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) is third with 128 runs, and fifth in walks (82) and steals (37). Abby Trahan (Kaplan, La./Kaplan) is tied for fourth all-time with 42 wins.

Trahan has set multiple SFU season records this year, including wins (27), innings (240) and appearances (42).  She is nine away from the SFU season strikeout record (189) and two wins away from the NEC season mark.
 
HOME SWEET HOME
Saint Francis has won 19 straight home games.  In eight home games this season, SFU is outscoring its opponents 68-10. The 19 straight wins include eight run-rule victories and five shutouts.  The Red Flash is batting .366 with 71 hits and 26 homers at home this year, averaging 8.5 runs and 8.8 hits per game.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Central Connecticut State, the No. 2 seed, is 19-28 this season and 10-6 in the NEC.  The Blue Devils fell 4-2 and 9-2 against SFU on April 21.  CCSU is batting .268 as a team and averaging 3.85 runs per game.  First Team All-NEC selection Brittany Camara leads the offense with a .346 average to go with a homer and 25 RBI.  Fellow First Teamer Sydney Bolan has seven homers and 22 RBI as well as a .298 average.  The Blue Devils have a team ERA of 3.69.  Peyton Silverman is 8-9 with a 2.72 ERA in 19 appearances, while Emily Sargent is 8-12 with a 3.40 ERA in 31 appearances.
 
Sacred Heart, the No. 3 seed, is 30-23 overall and 10-6 in the NEC.  The Pioneers were swept, 2-1 and 1-0, by the Red Flash on April 28.  SHU is batting .238 this season and 3.43 runs per game.  First Team All-NEC pick Hailey Desrosiers leads the squad with a .287 average, seven homers and 22 RBI.  Sacred Heart has a team ERA of 1.71, led by Emily Orosco's 1.18 ERA in 25 appearances. Orosco is 13-4 on the season, while Kristen McCann is 11-14 with a 2.03 ERA in 32 appearances. 
 
LIU Brooklyn, the No. 4 seed, has a 20-27 record, including an 8-8 NEC mark.  The Red Flash swept LIU, 9-0 and 22-4, on April 15.  LIU is batting .297 as a team and averaging 4.7 runs per game.  Three LIU batters were chosen as First Team All-NEC selections, led by Angie Vazquez's .391 average, two homers and 23 RBI.  Victoria Zamora is batting .373 with four homers and 28 RBI, while Ryleigh Bermea is hitting .326 with six homers and 35 RBI.  The Blackbirds have a team ERA of 5.86.  Erynn Sobieski is 9-11 with a 5.58 ERA in 31 appearances, while Hayley Irvis is 6-9 with a 7.51 ERA in 32 appearances.