Softball | 3/31/2026 7:00:00 AM

FIRST PITCH
Riding high after a thrilling game three against Le Moyne, the Red Flash scored 11 runs and secured their first road win of the season, thanks to freshman Olivia Holtzmen's extra-inning heroics with her second home run of the year. Entering this week's doubleheader, the Red Flash face former NEC foe Robert Morris, with Game 1 scheduled for a 2 p.m. first pitch.

ROBERT MORRIS SCOUTING REPORT 
Voted to finish first in the 2026 Under Armour Horizon League Preseason Poll, the Colonials aim to build on their positive momentum after last season's success, when they won their first Horizon League championship. Last season, Robert Morris finished with a 30-18 overall record (.625) and a 16-7 conference record (.696). The team won three straight playoff games to become conference champions and qualified for the NCAA Regionals for the first time since 2005. Returning from that championship team are 14 players, including reigning Horizon League Tournament MVP Courtney Poulich, 2025 co-freshman of the year Mary Brant, and two All-League Second Team selections, Kaylyn Hopf and Kaitlyn Molitoris.

LAST TIME WE PLAYED THE COLONIALS
In our last meeting with the Colonials, the Red Flash dropped game two of a doubleheader, 5–4. In that contest, Saint Francis scored four runs on 12 hits, two of which came off the bat of current sophomore Sofia Zielinski.

HEAD TO HEAD
Heading into their 30th all-time matchup, Robert Morris holds the edge in the series with 17 wins. The last time the Red Flash defeated the Colonials was in 2019, when Saint Francis earned a 6-5 victory in Loretto, Pa., in their most recent NEC conference meeting between the two programs.

NEXT ON DECK
The Saint Francis softball team returns to action in Loretto on Tuesday, April 7, as they return to NEC play, taking on conference foe Mercyhurst in a three-game series. The first pitch for the opening doubleheader is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Red Flash Softball Field in Loretto, Pa.

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 
Throughout the season, the Red Flash have proven they are no strangers to the long ball, leading the Northeast Conference with 28 home runs. Saint Francis also ranks among the top three in several offensive categories: hits (first, 208), runs (second, 124), RBIs (second, 114), total bases (second, 332), and slugging percentage (second, .410).

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 (.425), hits (34), home runs (10), RBIs (29), total bases (70), and slugging percentage (.875). She is also responsible for 20 of the Red Flash's 124 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).