LORETTO, Pa. – Saint Francis University softball head coach Jessica O'Donnell has announced the program's addition of six new players in the 2023 signing class. The student-athletes signed their National Letter of Intent on the Nov. 9 signing date.
 
"This class is another strong one for Red Flash softball. We are proud of the hard work, passion, discipline and attention to detail this group has exemplified so far," said O'Donnell. "Their commitment to excellence on and off the field is exactly what we need to continue to build our foundation on. We can't wait to get them here and playing for Saint Francis."
 
Hannah Bendle
Bendle is a 5-5 utility player from New Concord, Ohio where she plays for John Glenn High School and Team Ohio Red club. She is a three-year letter winner who hit .569 with 18 doubles, six triples and eight home runs in her junior season. She hit a school program-record 18 home runs in her sophomore year. During her sophomore and junior season Bendle has nine accolades, most notably a two-time All-State First Team selection and 2022 Muskingum Valley League Player of the Year. She is a 2021 Regional Champion, 2022 Regional Runner-Up and two-time East District Champion.
 
An honor roll student, Bendle intends to major in Occupational Therapy upon her arrival to Saint Francis.
 
"Hannah checks all the boxes. She's an amazing student, great person, very coachable and locked in on every play. Hannah was our first commit in this class and we were thrilled to welcome her to the Red Flash family," said O'Donnell. "What stood out most about Hannah was that she never takes a play off and plays her heart out on every play. Hannah is very consistent and strong at the plate and defensively makes big plays. She will fit in well with our style of play here in Loretto."
 
Allie Braly
Braly is a 6-0 pitcher from Kansas City, Mo. where she plays for Raytown Senior High School and Originals' 23 – Austin club team. She is a three-year letter winner who is a one-time All-District First Team and All-Conference First Team selection.
 
Academically, Braly is a member of National Honors Society, principal honor roll and honor roll. She intends to major in Marine Biology at Saint Francis.
 
"Allie is one of those student-athletes you can't help but appreciate. We love her passion for the game, she is very determined to help her team win and she is an amazing teammate," said O'Donnell. "On the field, she is going to give us another look in the circle with her movement pitches and is going to work hard for her team whenever called upon. We can't wait to get her here in front of our Red Flash fans."
 
Aliya Garroway
Garroway is a 5-1 utility player from Ellwood City, Pa. where she plays for Lincoln High School and Ohio Outlaws club team. She is a three-year letter winner with a career .462 batting average, 15 doubles, two triples, five home runs, 36 RBIs, .535 on-base percentage and .977 fielding percentage. Garroway is a two-time All-District, All-County and All-Section selection and a 2021 WPIAL Runner-Up.
 
The honor roll student and National Honor Society member intends to major in accounting upon arrival in Loretto.
 
"Aliya is one of the toughest, most disciplined student-athletes that we've ever seen on and off the field," said O'Donnell.  "She is a tough out with every at-bat and defensively, she gives 100-percent effort on every play. She is a very hard worker and the ultimate team player; Components we look for in all of our student-athletes. We can't wait to get Aliya playing Red Flash softball."
 
Madelynn Kessler
Kessler is a 5-6 utility player from North Huntingdon, Pa. where she plays for Norwin Sr. High School and OC Batbusters Interthal 18U. The three-year letter winner hit .362 with five home runs and 16 RBIs as a junior after she hit .509 with 11 home runs as a junior. She was a First Team All-Section selection and Section Champion her sophomore season.
 
A member of National Honor Society and honor roll, Kessler intends to major in Exercise Physiology at Saint Francis.
 
"Madelynn is the ultimate student of the game who is invested in learning and growing on every facet. We were impressed with her enthusiasm, knowledge and versatility on the field," said O'Donnell. "Madelynn will be a utility player for us who will see time in many different roles. She has a powerful bat with great athleticism, which will help us continue to compete on the National stage."
 
Olivia Kolowitz
Kolowitz is a 5-8 pitcher from Belle Vernon, Pa. where she plays for Belle Vernon Area High School and Ohio Outlaws club team. She is a two-year letter winner who has 81 strikeouts in 66 career innings pitched, which included 70 strikeouts in 52 innings pitched with a 6-3 record as a junior. She was a 2021 Herald Standard All-Area Second Team and 2022 Herald Standard Honorable Mention selection.
 
The high honors student intends to major in Marketing upon arrival at Saint Francis.
 
"Olivia has been coming to camps for the last year, which is where she caught our eye. On top of that, we love that she wanted to come to Saint Francis and play for us," said O'Donnell. "She went to work in the offseason and really proved herself this season on the mound. She is very coachable, eager to learn and has great movement and change of speeds on her pitches. She will complement our pitching staff nicely."
 
Kaylie Walters
Walters is a 5-6 utility player from Bucks County, Pa. where she plays for Council Rock High School South and Rock Gold club team. She has a .327 batting average, .500 on-base percentage and .978 fielding percentage in her career and recorded 26 stolen bases in 19 games as a junior.
 
An honor roll student, Kaylie intends to major in Business upon her arrival in Loretto.
 
"Kaylie is a relentless competitor and we love the way she commands the field defensively. She is smooth, quick and fast," said O'Donnell. "She comes from a great travel organization based out of New Jersey and knows the discipline and effort that it takes to train and play at the highest level. We can't wait to get her here in Loretto."
 
The six signees join a Saint Francis program that has won five Northeast Conference titles in a row at the time of their signing. The group brings versatility across multiple positions as Saint Francis continues to add talent to the prestigious program.