Softball | 9/5/2025 11:44:00 AM

As part of the Saint Francis Athletics Champions Day celebration, the Saint Francis softball team will receive its championship rings during an on-field ceremony during the Red Flash football home opener against Delaware State on September 20.

The Red Flash's Northeast Conference softball dynasty continued after winning three games in May to secure its seventh NEC Tournament title. Saint Francis defeated No. 3 FDU 10-2 in five innings, No. 2 CCSU 3-2 in the winners' bracket game, and then downed LIU 6-0 in the NEC Championship Game.

Savannah Nash, the NEC Player of the Year, was named the NEC Tournament Most Valuable Player, thanks in part to her game-winning two-run home run in the top of the seventh inning against CCSU. The Red Flash had been no-hit in the first six innings before a three-run rally in the seventh. Nash went 4-for-9 with four runs scored and five RBIs in the three games. Olivia Ulam, who became the second player in team history to earn All-NEC first-team honors in her first four years of eligibility, was key to the win against FDU with an RBI single to score the first run of the game, a two-run homer, and then added a three-run shot in the championship game. Allie Braly pitched 17 of the 19 innings the Red Flash played and allowed just two runs (one earned) on 13 hits with five strikeouts.

The Red Flash caught fire starting on April 17, winning 11 of its next 12 games, including the three games in the NEC Tournament in Brooklyn and nine consecutive against NEC opponents. The only loss in that span was at Pitt.

The 2025 roster consisted of one graduate student (Madelynn Bates), one senior (Ulam), three juniors (Nash, Haley Brag, Annabelle Farmer), four sophomores (Braly, Olivia Kolowitz, Hannah Bendle, Aliya Garroway) and seven freshman (AB Cipalla, Addison Deal, Zoey Nussbaum, Morgan Pasternak, Ally Pearce, Addie Smith, Sofia Zielinski).

Ulam was named the NEC Gold Glove winner, in addition to being an All-NEC selection, along with Braly, Nash, and Bendle. Farmer and Cipalla earned second-team honors, while Cipalla and Zielinski nabbed All-Rookie selections. Smith was also named to the All-Tournament after she broke up the no-hitter against CCSU.

Saint Francis was coached by Beth Krysiak, who led the Red Flash to NEC Tournament titles in both seasons in Loretto. Mel Savala and Ry Godde were assistant coaches on both championship runs, while Bella Ayala joined the team as a graduate assistant for the 2025 tournament run. 
 

The Red Flash has won seven softball championships since the 2017 campaign (2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2024 and 2025).