LORETTO, PA- After a much deserved 10-day layoff, the Red Flash start Northeast Conference play this weekend as they travel to Bryant to take on the Bulldogs on Saturday and the Blue Devils of Central Connecticut State on Sunday.
 
HISTORY IN THE MAKING
The Saint Francis senior class is re-writing the softball record books for not only the school but the entire Northeast Conference. During non-conference play, the Red Flash welcomed in three more members of the 200-career hit club. Hayley Norton (Spring Grove, Pa./Spring Grove) was the first to reach that mark this season, and now sits with a school-record 212 hits and counting. Cheyenne and Sierra McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) followed close behind and have 209 and 208 career hits, respectfully. The three seniors will compete for the school record throughout the rest of the season and have an outside shot of the NEC record of 250 career hits.
 
Norton has continued to re-write history, becoming the first player in SFU and Northeast Conference history to reach 50 career home runs, doing so against George Mason on March 20^th. That milestone broke Jordan Seneca's (Plum, Pa./Plum) SFU and NEC record of 48 career home runs and sits fourth amongst active players in the NCAA. She is also closing in on another record, sitting just three RBI away from tying and four from breaking Seneca's career RBI mark of 188, which also sits as a conference record. Her 185 career RBI is also fourth amongst active players across Division-I softball.
 
SIZZLING SIERRA
Sierra McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) has been on a tear over the final weeks of non-conference tournament play. The DuBois native is 11 for her last 21 with an astonishing 15 RBI. That hot streak has raised her average up nearly 50 points to 352 on the season, second on the team. Her RBI barrage gives her a team-best 35, good for top-20 in the NCAA.
 
SCOUTING THE WEEKEND
Picked fifth in the NEC pre-season poll, Bryant played a very tough non-conference schedule and enters the weekend at 4-23. The Bulldogs played two top-25 teams in South Carolina and Georgia and power-5 teams in Maryland, Michigan State and NC State. The offense has struggled this season, hitting just .179 as a team and average 1.85 runs per game. The offense is led by Morgan Powell's .267 average and Kaleigh Goulart's 10 RBI. Their staff is led by Gabrielle Ermish, despite an 1-8 record, she holds a strong 2.95 ERA.
 
CCSU was picked to finish just behind the Red Flash in the pre-season poll, pegged to finish fourth by the conference coaches. The Blue Devils sit currently at 11-10 but have two vs RMU before they take on SFU. Reining NEC Rookie and Player of the Week Rian Eigenmann leads the team with 19 runs scored and is second on the team with a 372 average. Sydney Bolan leads the team with a 391 average, 8 homers and 28 driven in. Ashley Antonazzo leads the pitching staff with 14 appearances, six wins and a 2.75 ERA.
 
FOLLOW ALONG
Both Bryant and CCSU will have live stats for the games this weekend. Bryant will be streaming both ends of the double header on Saturday while Sunday's games with the Blue Devils will just have live stats. All the links can be found on the softball schedule page. You can also follow @RedFlashSB on Twitter for in-game updates and stats.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
The Red Flash get their first opportunity to play inside the state of Pennsylvania when they travel up I-99 to take on Penn State for a double header starting at 5 p.m. Saint Francis will kick off their home schedule with Robert Morris on Saturday, April 6^th starting at 1 p.m. There will be a pre-game ceremony for the dedication of the Mikayla Focht hitting facility starting at noon.