Softball | 4/20/2026 12:46:00 PM

FIRST PITCH
Following a three-game series against NEC foe FDU this past weekend, which featured two lengthy lightning delays in Game 1, the Red Flash look to get back on track as they continue their long road trip. This week's stops include Happy Valley and Youngstown for midweek matchups against Penn State and Youngstown State University, starting Tuesday, April 21, against the Nittany Lions at Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field, with the first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m.

PENN STATE SCOUTING REPORT 
Coming into this matchup with an overall record of 28-17, Penn State's offense has been firing on all cylinders this season, achieving one of its most productive seasons in program history. The team has posted the third-highest batting average in school history and recorded the second-highest home run total, 61. However, while it may seem like they are swinging for the fences, they remain disciplined at the plate, boasting the fourth-highest scoring offense in the Big Ten Conference and the 26th-best offense nationally. Additionally, the Nittany Lions rank second nationally in walks drawn with 226, trailing only Big Ten member UCLA, which has 239.

LAST TIME WE PLAYED THE NITTANY LIONS
The last time the Red Flash faced Penn State was last season, when these in-state rivals met in a five-inning game that ended with the Nittany Lions winning, 15-3. Current junior Olivia Kolowitz hit a deep two-RBI double into left field.

HEAD TO HEAD
In terms of head-to-head matchups, the Red Flash and Nittany Lions are no strangers to each other, having met 21 times prior to Tuesday's matchup. Penn State leads the all-time series with 12 total wins. The last time Saint Francis claimed a victory in Happy Valley was on April 3, 2019, when the Red Flash defeated the Nittany Lions, 17-13.
 

YOUNGSTOWN STATE SCOUTING REPORT 
After finishing the 2025 season with a final record of 14-39, the Penguins were voted to finish fifth in the 2026 Under Armour Horizon League Softball Preseason Poll, according to a vote by the league's head coaches. Returning from last year's squad is key player, and All-Horizon League Second-Team pick Lydia Wilkerson, who led the Penguins with a .384 batting average, 66 hits, seven doubles, four home runs, and 28 RBIs. She also led the league in hits and batted .390 in league action. A key newcomer to the team is All-League First-Team selection Emma Gilkerson, a transfer from Cleveland State, who is a two-time All-Horizon League selection and owns a career batting average of .306 with 23 doubles, 20 home runs, and 72 RBIs.

LAST TIME WE PLAYED THE PENGUINS   
The last time these two programs met on the diamond was in 2021, when the Red Flash defeated the Penguins, 7-3, in Youngstown, Ohio.

HEAD TO HEAD
The Penguins currently hold the advantage in all-time head-to-head matchups, winning seven of the last 12 encounters.

NEXT ON DECK
Saint Francis softball is back in action this weekend, as they return home to Loretto, Pa., for more NEC play against the Sharks of LIU in the final home series of the 2026 season, starting with a doubleheader on Saturday, April 25, with a first pitch of 1 pm.
 

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 demonstrated their prowess with the long ball, ranking second in the NEC with 36 home runs. Saint Francis also ranks among the conference's top five in several offensive categories: hits (fourth, 275), runs (fourth, 165), RBIs (fourth, 165), total bases (third, 432), and slugging percentage (second, .414).

THE ACE AT FIRST BASE
At the center of the Saint Francis offensive attack is sophomore Sofia Zielinski, who currently leads the team in six categories: batting average (.462), hits (49), home runs (10), total bases (87), and slugging percentage (.821). Earlier this season, she broke her personal single-season best of nine home runs and became just the 19th player in program history to hit 10 or more homers in a season, dating back to 1999.

PRE-SEASON POLL
Entering the 2026 season as the reigning champions after winning their second consecutive NEC 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).