WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Although the Saint Francis offense continues to improve, showcasing its skills with late-inning heroics in game two, the Red Flash split the twin bill, dropping game one 22-2 and tying the second 12-12 on Thursday evening at Becker Field in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. Sophomore Morgan Pasternak swung a hot bat against Bucknell, resulting in a career-high day at the plate.

FLASH MOMENTS
In game one, the Red Flash trailed by three runs as Bucknell established a steady offensive presence to take an early lead. However, in the top of the second inning, after a walk by freshman Olivia Hood and a double by Pasternak, senior Haley Brag hit a ball past the Bison shortstop to plate two runs, cutting Bucknell's lead to 3-2. Despite the Bison regaining the lead in the next inning, Hood recorded her 21st hit of the season in the top of the fourth.

Looking ahead to Game two, just when all hope seemed lost for the Red Flash—down to their last strike with the mercy rule in effect Pasternak came to the plate with the bases loaded and did what this team has done best all year, hammering the ball over the longest part of the yard to put Saint Francis on the board 10-4. This set the stage for a phenomenal seventh inning, in which the Red Flash erased a five-run deficit in the blink of an eye. The scoring rally began with junior Olivia Kolowitz's RBI single, scoring senior Aliya Garroway. Not long after, junior Abby Evans drove in two more runs with her first career two-RBI single up the middle, setting up sophomore Grace Dias for an RBI double that brought Saint Francis within striking distance of Bucknell, now trailing 10-8. Junior Lilly Hicks played the role of late-inning hero, slapping a double down the right field line to even the score at 10 runs apiece. The comeback was capped off by Garroway, who drove in her fifth RBI of the year, giving Saint Francis its first lead of the afternoon at 11-10.

Moving into extra innings, Pasternak once again kept the Red Flash in the game, tallying her fifth RBI of the game with yet another double, once again giving the Red Flash a 12-11 lead. However, in the bottom half of the same frame, Bucknell tied the game at 12 runs before the game was called due to poor lighting, resulting in a tie.

FLASH NUGGETS 

Today was a day of firsts for two Red Flash players. The first milestone occurred at the top of the second inning when Brag recorded her first two RBIs of the 2026 season and her first two in her collegiate career at Loretto. The other came in the very next at-bat when  Evans notched not only her first hit of the season but also the second hit of her Saint Francis softball career.

Pasternak, who has been one of the more consistent bats in the Saint Francis lineup, had a standout day at the plate, driving in a career-high five RBIs with two doubles and a home run. Her contributions kept the Red Flash competitive in critical moments, making her a pivotal force in this afternoon's draw.

The Red Flash set new season highs in today's doubleheader, achieving totals of 12 runs scored, 16 hits, 12 RBIs, and five doubles.

For the first time in more than two decades, Saint Francis softball will finish the regular season with a tie in its overall record. The last time this occurred was during the 2002 season, when the Red Flash tied CCSU at 1 run apiece.

With Garroway's hit by pitch during the top of the third inning of game one, it was enough to extend her on-base streak to six straight games, dating back to their game against Hampton on February 20 in the Battle of the Bay tournament.

ON DECK
The Red Flash softball team is back in this one on Sunday, March 29, as they conclude their brief road trip in Syracuse, NY, taking on the Le Moyne Dolphins in a three-game set, with a doubleheader starting at 1 pm.