LORETTO, PA- The Red Flash softball team split their 2019 home opener against the Robert Morris Colonials, taking the first game 6-5 before dropping the nightcap 12-4 on an emotional, beautiful Saturday at the Red Flash Softball Complex.
The Red Flash christened the Mikayla Focht hitting center and unveiled a bench in a pre-game ceremony on Saturday. "Mick" had committed to play softball at Saint Francis as an eighth grader, but tragically, the Holidaysburg Area High School star was killed in an ATV accident during her senior season.
Saint Francis rode that emotion to a 6-5 victory in game one. SFU scored what proved to be the game-winning run in the sixth inning. Fittingly, it would be
Sierra McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) driving in sister Cheyenne to secure the victory, both grew up playing travel softball with Focht. Freshman,
Christina Clark (Avon, Ohio/Avon High School) got the victory, throwing a complete game and ended game one with her fifth strike out of the game, leaving the bases loaded.
Robert Morris struck first, striking for a two-out, two-run double in the second inning. The lead proved short lived as
Mikayla Bower (Williamsport, Pa./Williamsport) and
Brittney Crawford (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon McMillan) came through in the bottom of the inning with RBI singles to tie the game at two. The Red Flash took the lead an inning later as
Hayley Norton (Spring Grove, Pa./Spring Grove) came into score on a passed ball. Two pitches later,
Sierra McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) belted one over the right-center field wall to give SFU a 5-2 lead. The Colonials would use their own long balls to get back into the game. Taylor Bartlow hit a solo shot in the fourth and Brittney Seibert tied the game with a two-run homer in the sixth that just snuck over the center field wall.
Cheyenne McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) took advantage of a dropped pop-up in the bottom of the sixth, and used some heads up base running and a great slide to reach third on the play. Two batters later, twin sister Sierra drove her home on a deep fly out to center field.
GAME ONE SUMMARY
T2| Kent singled up the middle...Bartlow reached on a fielder error by catcher off a sac bunt, Kent to second...Seibert doubled to left center, Kent scored, Bartlow scored (unearned)...2-0 RMU
B2| Frank doubled to right center...Bower singled to center...Frank scored...Troxell grounds out to third, Bower to second...Crawford singles to right, advances to second on throw, Bower scores...2-2
B3| C.McKee singles to center, advances to second on wild pitch...Norton walked, C. McKee steals third...Norton steals second...C.McKee scores, Norton advances to third on passed ball...S. McKee homers to left center...5-2 SFU
T4| Bartlow homers to left field...5-3 SFU
T6| Bartlow singled to left, advances to second on sac bunt, advances to third on ground out...Seibert homers to center field, Bartlow scores..5-5
B6| C. McKee reaches on error by second basemen, advances to third on play...Norton walks....S. McKee hits sac fly to center field, C. McKee scores 6-5 SFU
GAME TWO RECAP
Saint Francis rode the emotion of the game one win right into game two, as
Meadow Uncapher (Mount Pleasant, Pa./Mount Pleasant High School) got a trio of ground outs in the first inning and
MeKenzie Saban (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) led off the bottom of the first inning with a home run to dead center. The Colonials used small ball in the second inning, stringing together seven singles to score seven runs, which proved to be too big of an obstacle for the Red Flash to overcome.
Mikayla Bower (Williamsport, Pa./Williamsport) infused some energy into the team with solid relief pitching as well as a towering two-run home run in the third inning to put SFU down 7-3. The Red Flash brought the tying run to the plate in the fifth, but couldn't capitalize. Robert Morris got some clutch two-out hitting in the fifth and again in the seventh to put the game away. Taylor Bartlow hit a two-run single in the fifth and Natalie Higgins hit a three-run homer in the seventh that pushed the game out of reach.
GAME TWO SUMMARY
B1| Saban homers to center field...1-0 SFU
T2| Bartlow walked...Seibert singled, Bartlow to second...Shiderly hit by pitch, Bartlow to third, Seibert to second...Mala reached on fielder's choice, Barlow out pitcher to catcher, Seibert to third, Shiderly to second...McCartney singled to center field, RBI; Mala advanced to second; Shiderly advanced to third; Seibert scored....Miller hit by pitch, RBI; McCartney advanced to second; Mala advanced to third; Shiderly scored...Higgins singled down the rf line, RBI; Miller advanced to third; McCartney out at third rf to c; Mala scored...Bunner singled to left field, RBI; Higgins advanced to second; Miller scored...Kent singled up the middle; Bunner advanced to second...Higgins advanced to third...Bartlow singled up the middle, 2 RBI; Kent advanced to third; Bunner scored; Higgins scored...Seibert singled to left field, RBI; Bartlow advanced to second; Kent scored...7-1 RMU
B4| Frank singles to pitcher...Bower homers to left field...7-3 RMU
T6| Higgins doubled to left...Kent singles down left field line, Higgins to third...Kent stole second...Bartlow singles to right 2RBI, Higgins scores, Kent scores...9-3 RMU
B6| Troxell doubled to right center...Crawford reached on error by 1b, Troxell to third...Saban grounds into fielder's choice, Crawford out ss to 2b...Troxell scores...9-4 RMU
T7| Mala reached on error by 3b...Miller singles up the middle, Mala to third...Higgins homers to center field, 3RBI, Mala scores, Miller scores...12-4 RMU
With the split, the Red Flash sit at 16-22 overall and 4-2 in the NEC. Robert Morris is now 10-25 and 3-3 in the conference. Saint Francis hits the road on Sunday to take on Mount Saint Mary's in a conference double header. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.
