PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Saint Francis University softball fell to Pitt 3-1 in a Wednesday afternoon meeting. The game was tied 1-1 until the Panthers scored two runs in the sixth inning.
 
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
» Grace Vesco pitched five innings and allowed one run on seven hits with three walks and six strikeouts.
» Madeline Barnes went 1-for-3 and scored Saint Francis' only run of the game.
» Jordan Frank drove in Saint Francis' only run with a bases-loaded walk and Ashley Wruble produced the only other Red Flash hit.
» Pitt's Yvonne Whaley went 2-for-3 and scored the Panthers' first run of the game.
 
FLASH QUOTES
"We are starting to overthink at the plate with certain pitches and we need to go up there and play our game. We're trying to do too much and that's why we only had two hits today. Defensively, we need to play overall better and communicate more. We just need to play smarter and more relaxed." – Head coach Jessica O'Donnell
 
TURNING POINTS OF THE GAME
» In Pitt's first at-bats, they loaded the bases before Vesco produced a groundout to shortstop and kept the game scoreless. In the second inning, Saint Francis had two runners on base but no runs scored. In the bottom half, Vesco struck out the side.
» Barnes led off the third inning with Saint Francis' first hit of the game before Mekenzie Saban and Jordan Pietrzykoski loaded the bases with no outs. After an Olivia Ulam strikeout, Frank walked to produce the game's first run and gave Saint Francis a 1-0 lead.
» In the bottom of the third, Pitt tied the game 1-1 with an RBI ground before Wruble limited the damage with a diving catch to end the inning.
» After two scoreless innings, Pitt took its first lead of the game with an RBI double in the bottom of the sixth inning. The Panthers padded their lead when they scored on an error and took a 3-1 lead. With Saint Francis unable to respond in the seventh, Pitt clinched its 3-1 victory.

FLASH NUGGETS
» Vesco lowered her season ERA to a team-leading 2.43 and is now three strikeouts shy of the team lead with 93. She has allowed just one run and seven hits with seven strikeouts in seven innings against two Power Five opponents, Penn State and Pitt, this season.
» Saban saw a 14-game hitting streak snap Wednesday. During the streak she went 23-for-41 (.560) against eight different opponents.
» The loss marks the fourth time this season Saint Francis has dropped consecutive games and they have not dropped three in a row to this point.

UP NEXT
Saint Francis returns to the field with a doubleheader at Bucknell on Tuesday, April 12 starting at 12 p.m.