LORETTO, Pa. – The Saint Francis softball team (24-7, 9-1 NEC) opened the series against Fairleigh Dickinson (1-11, 1-9 NEC) with a doubleheader split on Wednesday. Saint Francis prevailed with a 1-0 shutout in game one before Fairleigh Dickinson took the second game by a 3-1 margin. Grace Vesco threw her eighth shutout of the season in game one.
 

GAME ONE
Saint Francis 1, Fairleigh Dickinson 0
Records: Saint Francis (24-6, 9-0 NEC), Fairleigh Dickinson (0-11, 0-9 NEC)
Location: Red Flash Softball Field (Loretto, Pa.)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Grace Vesco pitched the complete game shutout, giving up only two hits while striking out eight batters. Vesco took a no-hitter into the seventh inning but the Knights got a lead-off infield single to break the streak.

Saint Francis got the first two hits of the game, singles by Mekenzie Saban and Allyn Bezjak, but the game remained scoreless into the sixth inning.

The Red Flash scored a run in the bottom of the sixth inning. Bezjak hit her second single of the game and Tayven Rousseau was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second. Jordan Frank singled to left center to score Bezjak. The inning ended with runners on second and third.

GAME NOTES

• This is the third multi-hit game of the season for Bezjak.
• This is Vesco's eighth shutout of the season.

 
GAME TWO
Saint Francis 1, Fairleigh Dickinson 3
Records: Saint Francis (24-7, 9-1 NEC), Fairleigh Dickinson (1-11, 1-9 NEC)
Location: Red Flash Softball Field (Loretto, Pa.)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Rachel Marsden pitched the complete game, giving up only one earned run and two walks while striking out a career-high 10 batters.

Frank threw out a Fairleigh Dickinson coming home in the top of the first inning to keep the Knights off the board.

Lexi Hernandez put SFU on the scoreboard first with an RBI triple in the bottom of the first to score Saban after her lead-off single. The Red Flash loaded the bases with back-to-back hit-by-pitches from Bezjak and Rousseau but a double play ended the threat.

The Knights loaded the bases in the top of the fourth inning but Marsden ended the threat with a strikeout.

The score remained 1-0 until Fairleigh Dickinson scored a pair of unearned runs on a walk and two singles in the top of the fifth to take a 2-1 lead.

The Red Flash left Saban at third to end the fifth and runners on first and second to end the sixth.

FDU tacked on a run in the top of the seventh to increase its lead to 3-1 and SFU could not rally in the bottom of the seventh.

GAME NOTES

• This is Hernandez's first collegiate triple.
• Marsden totaled a career-high 10 strikeouts.
• This is Saban's 13^th double of the season.
• Saban is now tied for fifth in program history with 38 career doubles.
• This is Saban's 12^th multi-hit game of the season.
• This is Frank's second multi-hit game of the season.

 
UP AHEAD
The Red Flash and Knights conclude the series with a doubleheader on Thursday beginning at noon.
 
Follow Saint Francis Softball on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to get up-to-date information and a behind-the-scenes look at the Red Flash program.

To learn more about Saint Francis University, visit francis.edu.