LORETTO, Pa. – Saint Francis University softball took a series sweep of Merrimack after a 12-1 win on Friday. The 12 runs are Saint Francis' second-highest total this season as they produced three 13-run games and one other 12-run game.
 
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
» Rachel Marsden went 3-for-3 with a home run, three runs scored and two RBIs. On the mound she threw a complete game and allowed one run on two hits with nine strikeouts.
» Madeline Barnes went 2-for-2 with a home run and three RBIs.
» Jordan Pietrzykoski went 2-for-2 with three runs scored, one RBI and one walk.
» Merrimack's Ellen Hubbard produced the Warriors' only run with a solo home run.
 
FLASH QUOTES
"We got in our groove and we're excited to get the sweep today. We played with a lot of energy and scored six early which set the tempo for the rest of the game. What we did today is exactly what we'll need to bring against Mount St. Mary's next series."– Junior Marsden on the team's overall performance.
 
"Focusing in on stringing hits together and building on the momentum we had is what was different from yesterday. We strung them together in every single inning and that's the momentum we created." – Graduate Student Mekenzie Saban on the team's performance at the plate.
 
"In conference play, you know every day matters and anything can happen at any moment. They just came out and swung the bats for a much behind better day behind a lot more confidence." – Head coach Jessica O'Donnell on the team's ability to produce a 12-run output.
 
TURNING POINTS OF THE GAME
» Saint Francis started the game with six runs in the first inning, started by a Pietrzykoski RBI triple and she scored after a throwing error. After Jordan Frank scored on an error, Marsden drove in Olivia Ulam with a double, followed by a Barnes two-run single.
» Merrimack's Hubbard responded with a solo home run in the second inning before Pietrzykoski got the run back on an error in the bottom half.
» In the third, Lexi Hernandez hit an RBI groundout before Barnes hit a home run to left center field and Saint Francis opened a 9-1 lead.
» The Red Flash capped off their scoring with a Ward RBI single, Ulam sacrifice fly and Marsden solo home run in the fourth inning.

FLASH NUGGETS
» Marsden regained the team lead with a 2.32 ERA and 111 strikeouts this season. With her 111 strikeouts, she already set a new career-high breaking her 110 strikeouts in 2020-21.
» Saban finished the weekend with a .571 batting average and raised her season total to .455, which ranks top-15 in the NCAA Division I.
» Saint Francis has won all-seven meetings with Merrimack since the Warriors became an NCAA Division I program in 2019-20.

UP NEXT
Saint Francis hosts its second conference series in a row when they welcome Mount St. Mary's on Tuesday, April 19 starting at 1 p.m.