LORETTO, Pa. – Saint Francis University softball travels to LIU for its first road conference series with a doubleheader on Sunday, March 26 at 1 p.m. and one game on Monday, March 27 at 1:30 p.m. The series was originally scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, but pushed back due to rain.
 
Saint Francis Quick Hits
» Brianna Sawyers was named Northeast Conference Co-Player and Co-Rookie of the Week on March 21. She recorded three multi-hit games in a row in the series sweep over Stonehill, which included the first three-hit game of her career in the opener. She is 10-for-18 during her current five-game hitting streak and raised her season batting average to .250.
» Olivia Ulam hit two home runs in the series finale against Stonehill and now has three for the season. Her 15 runs scored leads Saint Francis after she recorded seven against the Skyhawks.
» Rachel Marsden has three scoreless outings in a row and has not allowed a run in her last 19 innings pitched. She lowered her ERA to a team-best 2.69 and adds 82 strikeouts in 67.2 innings pitched. At the plate, she leads the team with four home runs, 14 RBIs and is second with 14 runs scored.
» Grace Vesco recorded her second one-hitter on the season (minimum of five innings pitched) and had at least nine strikeouts for the fifth time this season. Her career strikeout total stands at 494.

Last Time Out
Saint Francis earned a series sweep over Stonehill in its first ever meeting with the Skyhawks. The Red Flash won every game via run-rule and outscored the Skyhawks 35-1. In Monday's doubleheader sweep, Saint Francis walked off the first game 8-0 after Madelyn Wilson scored on a passed ball. In the second game, Marsden hit a walk-off three-run home run in the sixth inning for an 11-1 victory. Saint Francis capped the series with a commanding 16-0 victory behind six home runs – one shy of tying the single-game program record set on April 23, 2016 against Bryant. Jordan Pietrzykoski hit the second grand slam of her Saint Francis career in the win, while Ulam recorded the first multi-home run game of her career. The Red Flash struck out only twice in all-three games combined.
 
Scouting LIU
The Sharks hold a 16-13 overall record and opened conference play 3-0 after a series sweep on Fairleigh Dickinson. Saint Francis and LIU had four common non-conference opponents and the Red Flash were 2-3 in those games, while the Sharks were 3-3. LIU's offense is led by Kristen Blanchard's .325 batting average and Alexia Castro's four home runs and 13 RBIs. Maria Narvaiz also adds four home runs, while Gabby Padilla adds 14 RBIs. The LIU pitching staff is led by Kira Buckner's 1.63 ERA, followed by Lindsey Cowans' 2.22 mark and Alyssa O'Donnell's 2.82 mark (all top-seven in the NEC). Cowans leads the group with 74 strikeouts in 85 innings pitched.
 
All-Time vs. LIU
LIU holds a 45-31 all-time advantage over Saint Francis since the first meeting in 1988, but the Red Flash are on a current 11-game winning streak in the series. Last season, Saint Francis defeated LIU five times by a combined 49-16. Saint Francis also defeated LIU in four straight NEC Championship games.
 
Around the NEC
Three teams, Central Connecticut, LIU and Saint Francis, are all 3-0 after conference-opening sweeps against Wagner, LIU and Stonehill, respectively. Merrimack took a 2-1 series victory over Sacred Heart in the other NEC action. After its sweep at Saint Francis, Stonehill defeated Providence 3-1 on March 22 for its first Division I victory in program history. Fairleigh Dickinson and Sacred Heart kicked off the second week on NEC action with a 5-2 Fairleigh Dickinson victory. Wagner will host Stonehill, Merrimack will host Central Connecticut and LIU will host Sacred Heart in the other NEC action.

Next
Saint Francis returns home on Saturday, April 1 to start a three-game series against Wagner.