CHARLESTON, S.C. – Saint Francis University softball split its second day of games at the CSU Kickoff Tournament with an 8-5 win over Bellarmine and 3-1 loss to Charleston Southern.
 
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
» Grace Vesco (2-0) pitched 4.2 innings in relief and allowed no runs on one hit with no walks and five strikeouts to earn the win over Bellarmine.
» Kaylie Walters went a combined 3-for-6 with two runs scored one walk and two steals.  
» Rachel Marsden (1-1) went six innings and allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits with no walks and five strikeouts. She also hit the first home run by a Red Flash player this season.
» Olivia Ulam and Madelyn Wilson each recorded two RBIs.
 
TURNING POINTS OF GAME ONE
» Bellarmine jumped out to an early 4-0 lead behind a two-run single, one run single and a double steal in the first two innings.
» Wilson cut into the deficit to 4-2 with a two-run single in the second inning. Savannah Nash followed with an RBI single in the third and Marsden hit a two-run home run to open a 5-4 lead.
» With two outs in the fourth, Hannah Bendle recorded an RBI single for the first hit of her collegiate career. Ashley Wruble drove Bendle home with a single and Ulam drove Wruble home with a double to open an 8-4 lead.
» Bellarmine scored one more run on a groundout in the seventh before Allie Braly sealed Saint Francis' 8-5 win.
 
TURNING POINTS OF GAME TWO
» Saint Francis scored the game's first run with a Ulam sacrifice fly that drove in Walters in the first inning. Walters recorded an infield single and steal during the sequence.
» Charleston Southern responded in the bottom half with an infield single and two bunt singles that led to two runs on a throwing error during the third sequence. A sacrifice fly followed to open a 3-1 Buccaneers' lead after one.
» After five scoreless innings, Saint Francis had runners on second and third in the sixth and could not convert. The game remaining scoreless through the seventh handing Saint Francis its first loss of the 2024 season.
 
FLASH NUGGETS
» Vesco's five strikeouts brought her career total to 599. She has 13 strikeouts in 12.2 innings to begin the 2024 season.
» Marsden moved into sole possession of third in program history with 449 career strikeouts. Laura Caldwell standings second in the rankings with 575.
» Wruble recorded the 50th RBI of her career in the first game. She joined Lexi Hernandez, Marsden and Ulam as active players with at least 50 in their respective careers.

UP NEXT
Saint Francis concludes its opening weekend at the CSU Kickoff Tournament on Sunday, Feb. 11 at 10 a.m. against Siena.