Softball | 3/13/2026 1:18:00 PM
FIRST PITCH
The Saint Francis Softball team enters its conference and home opener with an overall record of 0-21. Coming off a non-conference tournament schedule that saw the Red Flash win a variety of awards, such as Olivia Hood being named NEC Rookie of the Week twice, or Sophomore Sofia Zielinski winning her second career player of the week award after In 16 plate appearances, the underclassmen recorded eight hits, drew two walks, and hit two home runs, giving her a .500 batting average and a .556 on-base percentage. Looking ahead to this weekend, among various improvements, the Red Flash aims to gain not only their first conference win but also their first win of the 2026 season against NEC newcomer, the New Haven Charger, in a three-game set, with game of Saturday, March 14's double headered schedule for 1 pm.
COACHES' CORNER
Following the conclusion of the Red Flash's non-conference tournament schedule, Coach Bill Vasko sat down for the weekly Coach's Corner to provide a progress report on the team. When asked what had improved over the past two weeks in Texas, Vasko said the team's commitment to trusting the process has started to pay off. "We started playing much better against UTSA, where we put up a lot more runs and had opportunities to win both games," Vasko said. "Especially in the second game, we jumped out to some early leads but just weren't able to hold on. Still, I felt like the progress we were making at the plate was really good, and the pitching was probably a little bit better, good enough for us to be in a position to win some games."
Later in the interview, Vasko was asked about his feelings heading into his first regular-season home game in a Red Flash uniform. Despite his long career in the sports industry, he admitted that firsts can still evoke anticipation. "We got to play at home a little bit in the fall, but this is the first real deal," Vasko said. "It's not nervous energy or anything like that. For me, it's more that you don't quite know what to expect. After the first game and moving into conference play, you can relax and really focus on the task at hand. It's just going to be exciting to get underway finally."
NEW HAVEN SCOUTING REPORT
Heading into their inaugural Division I season, New Haven is 0-10 after facing Yale, Boston, and North Dakota State in non-conference play. The pop in this lineup consistently comes from sophomore Bri Pellicone, who has a .292 batting average in 24 at-bats. On the pitching staff, sophomore Katie Rhoades leads the way. In just 16 innings pitched, she has posted a 3.86 earned run average, allowing 17 hits while striking out one batter.
NEXT ON DECK
The Red Flash softball team is back in action on Wednesday, March 18, as Saint Francis travels to Youngstown, Ohio, to take on the Penguins in a non-conference doubleheader, with a 1 p.m. first pitch.
AT THE HELM
Entering his first season at Loretto, Head Coach Bill Vasko aims to maintain the program's winning tradition as he becomes the 14th head coach in its history. He takes over a program that has won seven of the last eight NEC Tournament titles and appeared in seven NCAA Division I regionals. Vasko brings 15 years of collegiate softball coaching experience, including 10 years as a head coach, and 31 years in college athletics.
Upon his hiring, Vasko said, "I'm incredibly honored to be named the softball head coach at Saint Francis. This program has a strong tradition of excellence, and I'm excited to build on that legacy while helping our student-athletes grow both on and off the field. Saint Francis is a special place, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to lead this program into its next chapter. Our focus will be on developing leaders, continuing the championship culture, and competing with pride every time we take the field."
NEW TO THE LO'
Late last year, Coach Vasko began building a winning-caliber team capable of competing against any opponent, both inside and outside the NEC. This effort started with the hiring of Abby Doerr and Ryan Bushey to his coaching staff. Coach Doerr brings extensive experience, having played at the highest level for programs including the University of Alabama and Oregon State University. Joining her is Coach Bushey, a graduate assistant who was a four-year infielder on the Mount Aloysius College baseball team, where he played a key role for a Mounties program that consistently competed at the top of the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference.
THE RETURNERS
Saint Francis begins the 2026 season with six returners from last year's championship-winning squad, including three CSC Academic All-District award winners: senior Annabelle Farmer, junior Aliya Garroway, and junior Olivia Kolowitz. They are joined by sophomore Morgan Pasternak, senior Haley Brag, and sophomore Sofia Zielinski, all of whom were vital to last year's championship team.
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
Despite the key contributions of last year's championship-winning team, Coach Vasko made several additions to the lineup to make a difference. Saint Francis welcomes a strong freshman class, including Olivia Holtzman (York, Pennsylvania, Central York), Sophia Rabatin (Lilly, Pennsylvania, Penn Cambria), Olivia Hood (New Castle, Pennsylvania, New Castle), Ella Zoss, and Zoe Kesterson (Charles Town, West Virginia, Washington).
