WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Saint Francis softball split its doubleheader against Stonehill, winning Game one, 7-6, before falling to the Skyhawks, 6-4, in Game two on Saturday evening at Fr. Gartland Field in North Easton, Mass.

FLASH MOMENTS
Starting in Game One, Saint Francis first got on the board at the top of the second inning. Senior Haley Brag swatted a two-RBI single up the middle, bringing home junior Marianne Labelle and sophomore Morgan Pasternak, tying the game at two runs apiece. In the following inning, the Red Flash took their first lead when Pasternak grounded into the infield far enough to reach on a fielder's choice, allowing freshman Olivia Hood enough time to score, making it a 3-2 game.

Down three runs heading into the top of the seventh inning, Saint Francis refused to go away, mustering three runs on three hits and two critical errors. The first run came off the bat of freshman Sophia Rabatin, who blooped a cue shot into center field to bring home Sofia Zielinski. The scoring continued when Pasternak came around on a fielding error by the Skyhawks' right fielder, inching the Red Flash closer at 6-5. Another key miscue occurred two at-bats later by the Stonehill shortstop, allowing Hood to reach first and permitting Rabatin to score, tying the game at 6-6.

The ultimate turning point in opening matchup came in extra innings, where senior Annabelle Farmer played the hero, launching a solo home run over the right-field fence to deliver the final blow to Stonehill and seal a 7-6 victory.

Although the outcome in second encounter of the day didn't go the Red Flash's way, the bats came alive when it mattered most. Entering the sixth inning facing a five-run deficit, Saint Francis chipped away, trimming the Stonehill lead to just two. Over back-to-back innings, the Red Flash racked up eight hits and pushed across four runs. Zielinski got Saint Francis on the board with a two-RBI single back through the circle, scoring junior Lilly Hicks and junior Aliya Garroway to make it a 5-2 game. Later in that same inning, Brag delivered her fourth RBI of the day with a single down the right-field line, driving in Zielinski to cut the deficit to 5-3. The final run for the Red Flash came in the following frame when Zielinski drove in her fourth run of the game, locking in the final score at 6-4.
 

FLASH NUGGETS 
Despite being a last-minute addition to the Game one lineup, freshman Zoe Kesterson went the distance. In the circle, she tossed a career-high eight innings, allowing six runs on six hits while striking out three Skyhawks.

In the top of the seventh in Game One, freshman Sophia Rabatin recorded the first RBI of not only her Red Flash tenure, but of her collegiate career.

Garroway reached base for the 26th consecutive game, further extending her impressive streak. She was joined by teammates Zielinski and Pasternak, who pushed their own on-base streaks to 15 and 12 straight games, respectively.

ON DECK
The Saint Francis softball team returns to action Sunday, April 12, as it concludes a three-game series against Stonehill at Fr. Gartland Field in North Easton, Mass., with a noon first pitch.