STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – Saint Francis University softball took a doubleheader sweep on Wagner with two run-rule victories 9-0 in game one and 12-0 in game two. The wins move Saint Francis to 16-4 in Northeast Conference play this season.
 
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
» Grace Vesco threw a no-hitter across five innings with no walks and four strikeouts. She hit just one batter in the game.
» Rachel Marsden pitched a complete game and allowed no runs on two hits with no walks and four strikeouts. She went 4-for-6 with one home run, two RBIs and five runs scored.
» Ashley Wruble went 4-for-6 and had one home run, one double, three RBIs and four runs scored.
» Lauren Aubry was 5-for-6 with one double, two runs scored and four RBIs.
» Nine different Red Flash players scored at least one run and six starters hit over .400 in the two games.
 
FLASH QUOTES
"The team came out strong today in a full team effort. Maddie [Barnes] and I worked really well today and the defense worked behind me well and ended it with a nice double play. Our bats are starting to string together, the defense is looking good and we'll look to keep this momentum going." – Junior Vesco on the team's performance and her fifth-career no-hitter.
 
"We worked hard all week to give each other positive energy and we wanted to make sure we came out here with that energy. Right before the home run Rachel told me some adjustments to make, so all I had to do was listen to her and the rest followed." – Junior Wruble on the team's production at the plate and her second home run of the season.
 
"Today was huge from a confidence standpoint, especially getting ready two weeks away from the conference tournament. To have our pitchers hitting their spots and taking care of business was phenomenal today. Everyone was hitting on all cylinders today and that's huge for us down the stretch." – Head coach Jessica O'Donnell on the team's overall play and the confidence it builds.
 
"Grace is a gamer, that's for sure. She put in a lot of coach with coach Petrie this week on different scenarios. I'm proud of her for the work she put in and being able to get this locked in down the stretch."- Coach O'Donnell on Vesco's no-hitter.
 
TURNING POINTS OF THE GAME – GAME 1
» Saint Francis produced the only two hits through three scoreless innings before they broke the game open in the fourth. Jordan Pietrzykoski singled to lead the inning off before Olivia Ulam drove her in.
» With a 1-0 lead, Frank hit a two-run home run and opened a 3-0 lead. Marsden and Wruble followed with back-to-back singles before Aubry drove them both in with a two-run double.
» In the fifth inning, Wruble hit a two-run double followed by an Aubry two-run single that opened a 9-0 lead.
» Vesco lost her perfect game bid with a one-out hit batter in the fifth inning. She clinched her second no-hitter of the season in the run-rule 9-0 game one victory.
 
TURNING POINTS OF THE GAME – GAME 2
» Mekenzie Saban opened the scoring when she scored on a throwing error in the first inning. In the second inning, Marsden and Wruble hit back-to-back solo home runs and opened a 3-0 lead.
» In the fourth inning, Saban drove in Aubry and Marsden with a double and extended the lead to 5-0 before the Red Flash scored seven runs in the fifth inning.
» Ashely Orischak opened the scoring on a Marsden fielder's choice before Sydney Baker had a pinch-hit RBI single. With a 7-0 lead, Aubry and Saban hit back-to-back RBI singles and extended the lead to 9-0.
» Pietrzykoski followed with a two-run double to right center before she scored the next play on an error to cap off Saint Francis' 12-run output.
» Marsden allowed only two hits during the five-inning shutout before Saint Francis clinched its 12-0 run-rule win and doubleheader sweep.

FLASH NUGGETS
» Vesco earned the fifth no-hitter of her career after she threw one in a 2-0 win over Central Connecticut on March 26 and three last season.
» Marsden is now tied for fifth in single-season program history with her 17th win of the season. She is tied with Ketarah DeVries (2013) and Lexie Chamberlain (1989).
» With three hits in the doubleheader, Saban has 240 in her career and is three shy of tying the program record of 243 set by Hayley Norton from 2016-19,

UP NEXT
Saint Francis has its final road games of the regular season when they travel to Wagner four a doubleheader on Saturday, April 30 and one game on Sunday, May 1.