LORETTO, PA- Saint Francis continues their six-game home stand this weekend as they welcome in Sacred Heart on Senior Day Saturday and Wagner on Sunday in four pivotal NEC games.
Saturday's Senior Day will begin at around 12:40, as the team's honors the five members of the 2019 senior class.
Mikayla Bower (Williamsport, Pa./Williamsport),
Cheyenne McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois),
Sierra McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois),
Hayley Norton (Spring Grove, Pa./Spring Grove) and
Kassidy Troxell (Navarre, Ohio/Perry) have been one of the most successful classes in Saint Francis history. In their three-plus seasons, they have won 140 games in their career, third most in a four-year stretch in Northeast Conference history.
ABOUT THE RED FLASH
Saint Francis enters the weekend at 5-3 in NEC play and 18-24 overall after a split with in-state foe Pitt on Tuesday afternoon.
Hayley Norton (Spring Grove, Pa./Spring Grove) delivered the big blow in Tuesday's 11-3 win over the Panthers with a grand slam as part of a six-run second inning. As a team, the Red Flash sit atop the Northeast Conference in several categories. The Red Flash lead the NEC in homers and triples and is second in doubles. As a result, SFU leads the conference in slugging percentage and in runs per game at just over six per contest. That number has ticked up to close to seven runs per game in conference. Leading the NEC offensive charge has been
MeKenzie Saban (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills), leading four players who are hitting .340 or better in NEC play with a .387 average. In the circle,
Christina Clark (Avon, Ohio/Avon High School) has gone 4-1 in conference with a 2.71 earned run average.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Sacred Heart was the unanimous pick to capture the NEC title in the pre-season poll and come into the weekend at 4-4 in the NEC, splitting with FDU and Central Connecticut, sweeping Mount St. Mary's and getting swept by LIU.
Hailey Desrosiers leads the Pioneers and the NEC with 54 hits on the season and has a conference leading .425 average as a result. Katelyn Christian has supplied the power, with a team leading five homers and 30 RBI to go along with a solid .322 average.
Sacred Heart returns its solid pitching that it rode to the NEC tournament last year. A pair of seniors Kristen McCann and Emily Orosco have pitch well once again. McCann has pitched to a 3.74 era and has struck out nearly a batter an inning in her 91 innings pitched. Emily Orosco has a 2.91 era and is averaging over a strikeout per inning. Sophomore Shyanne Fennel is sporting a 1.97 era in 60 innings pitched. The trio has split the NEC workload, with Orosco posting the best results, sitting at 1-1 with a 1.52 era.
Wagner was picked eighth in the NEC pre-season poll and sits at 1-3 in NEC play entering the weekend, they will play at RMU before heading to Loretto. The Seahawks come into the weekend hitting .278 as a team. Karen Prihoda leads the team with a .344 batting average and 29 runs scored. Wagner has relied on small ball, hitting just five home runs as a team. Natalie DelPonte leads in extra base hits with eight doubles and a team-best 28 RBI. Kayla Hooks leads a pitching staff that comes into the weekend with a 6.76 team era. Hooks is 4-7 with a 6.12 era. She has been remarkable in NEC play going 1-1 with a 1.51 earned run average.
FOLLOW ALONG
The Red Flash will be planning to stream both double headers on NEC Front Row. Live stats will be available for all four games. Links can be found on the softball schedule page. You can also follow @RedFlashSB on Twitter for in-game updates.
LOOKING AHEAD
Saint Francis will head to New Jersey and Fairleigh Dickinson on Friday for the only games of Easter week. First pitch from Teaneck is set for 1 p.m.
