Softball | 3/25/2026 7:00:00 AM

FIRST PITCH
Despite coming into the weekend with only one victory in conference play, the Saint Francis softball team has continued to show progress on all sides of the diamond. Heading into a new week, the Red Flash will travel to Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, to take on Bucknell in non-conference play on Thursday, March 26, before concluding their brief road trip in Syracuse, New York, to face the Le Moyne Dolphins in a three-game series starting Saturday, March 28, with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.

BUCKNELL SCOUTING REPORT 
Entering this non-conference matchup with a 4-23 record, Bucknell was projected to finish fourth out of seven teams in the Patriot League this season. In addition, the coaches' poll named junior shortstop Brooke Popella to the Preseason All-League Team. Despite some key losses from last year's squad, the Bison bring back several key returnees to watch, including Popella, senior catcher Angela Seropian, senior outfielder Marissa Rapino, and their ace on the mound, junior Sarah Zimmerman.

LAST TIME WE PLAYED THE BISON 
The last time we played Bucknell on the diamond was last season, when the Red Flash defeated the Bison 3-1 on getaway day of a three-game series to complete the sweep in Loretto, Pennsylvania.

HEAD TO HEAD
In the all-time series, Saint Francis leads with 17 wins in the 29 meetings between the two programs. The Red Flash has won the last seven matchups, outscoring Lewisburg 38-16. Notably, the last time Saint Francis lost at Becker Field was in 2015, when the Bison won 6-1.

LE MOYNE SCOUTING REPORT 
Entering this week with a record of 5-18, the Le Moyne Dolphins were voted to finish fifth out of eight teams in the Northeast Conference. The major returner from last year's squad is sophomore infielder Cianna Benamati, who earned spots on both the All-Conference First Team and the All-Conference Rookie Team in her first year with the Dolphins. She will return for the 2026 season. Benamati topped the roster with a .342 batting average, .432 on-base percentage, .623 slugging percentage, and 1.055 OPS, while recording eight home runs, 71 total bases, and 27 RBIs. She also ranked second with 39 hits, eight doubles, 18 walks, and 23 runs scored through 43 games played.

LAST TIME WE PLAYED THE DOLPHINS
These two teams last squared off last season, when the Red Flash defeated the Dolphins by a commanding score of 9-0 in a five-inning, run-rule game. During the matchup, juniors Aliya Garroway and Annabelle Farmer contributed to their team's efforts, each recording RBIs in the blowout.

HEAD TO HEAD
In the all-time series, Saint Francis is undefeated against the Dolphins in their nine meetings. During this winning streak, the Red Flash has outscored Le Moyne 50-22.

NEXT ON DECK
The Saint Francis softball team is back in action Tuesday, March 31, as it hosts Robert Morris in a doubleheader in Loretto, Pa., with the first pitch at 1 p.m.

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.

BY THE NUMBERS 
As showcased throughout the season, the Red Flash are no strangers to the long ball, leading the Northeast Conference with 23 home runs. Additionally, Saint Francis ranks among the top three in the following offensive categories: hits (third, 154), runs (third, 88), RBIs (third, 80), total bases (third, 250), and slugging percentage (second, .387).

THE ACE AT FIRST BASE
At the center of the Saint Francis offensive machinery is sophomore Sofia Zielinski, who currently leads the team in several categories: batting average (.448), hits (30), home runs (10), RBIs (27), total bases (66), and slugging percentage (.985). She is also responsible for 18 of the Red Flash's 88 total runs, which ranks second on the team. Additionally, after breaking her personal career record of nine home runs on Sunday, this marks just the 19th time in program history that a Red Flash player has hit 10 or more home runs in a season, dating back to 1999.

PRE-SEASON POLL
Entering the 2026 season as the reigning champions after winning their second consecutive Northeast Conference title, Saint Francis was selected to finish sixth out of nine teams in the NEC Preseason Coaches' Poll.

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).