LORETTO, Pa. – Saint Francis University softball defeated Stonehill 8-0 in game one and 11-1 in game two to begins conference play 2-0. Game one was a five-inning finish and game two finished in six innings.
 
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
» Rachel Marsden (3-9) went a complete five innings and allowed no runs on two hits with one walk and seven strikeouts in game one. At the plate she combined 3-for-7 with three runs scored, two home runs and six RBIs.
» Jordan Pietrzykoski went 4-for-6 with four runs scored, one double and two RBIs. She also walked twice for a .750 on-base percentage.
» Brianna Sawyers went 5-for-8 with three runs scored, one double, one home run and two RBIs.
» Grace Vesco (7-6) went a complete six innings and allowed one run on one hit with three walks and nine strikeouts.
 
TURNING POINTS OF THE GAME (Game One)
» Saint Francis struck first with three runs in the first inning behind a Pietrzykoski RBI single, Stonehill error and Ashley Wruble groundout. In the second inning, Pietrzykoski hit an infield single to extend the lead to 4-0.
» A Savannah Nash two-run single and Marsden one-run single in the fourth inning extended the lead to 7-0.
» In the fifth inning, Madelyn Wilson scored on a passed ball to clinch Saint Francis' run-rule 8-0 victory.
 
TURNING POINTS OF THE GAME (Game Two)
» The Red Flash began the second game fast with a Sawyers leadoff home run, followed two batters later by an Olivia Ulam RBI double to open a 2-0 lead.
» In the third inning, Pietrzykoski scored on a passed ball, followed by a two-run Marsden home run, to open a 5-0 lead. Later in the inning, Nash hit a sacrifice fly and Sawyers hit an RBI single to lead 7-0.
» Stonehill got one run back in the fourth inning on a double before Saint Francis responded with a Wruble RBI groundout in the bottom half.
» Marsden hit a three-run home run, her second of the game, in the bottom of the sixth to walk-off the game and clinch Saint Francis' doubleheader sweep.

FLASH NUGGETS
» Both run-rule decisions were the first this season for Saint Francis. Game two was the first time Saint Francis topped 10 runs scored and second time with three home runs in a game.
» Marsden's two home run game was the third of her career after she did it twice last season against LIU on March 20 and Appalachian State on Feb. 13. On the mound, she has produced 16 straight scoreless innings and has allowed just 10 hits in that span.
» Sawyers produced the first three-hit game of her career in game one and now has four multi-hit games in her career. She is 8-for-16 with five runs scored, three doubles, one home run and three RBIs over the last four games.
» Pietrzykoski had her first three-hit game of the season in game one and first three-run game of the season. She has five runs scored in the last three games after she scored seven in the first 22 games.

UP NEXT
Saint Francis concludes its first conference series of the season on Tuesday at 11 a.m. against Stonehill.