LORETTO, Pa. – The start of the 2024 Northeast Conference (NEC) Championship has been anything but ordinary for the third-seeded Sacred Heart University softball team as rain threw the tournament's schedule in disarray. 

SHU opened the tournament yesterday against No. 2 LIU, holding a 5-3 lead in the sixth inning before the game was suspended until the next morning due to rain. The Pios held on to earn a 6-3 victory 20 hours later. Unfortunately for Sacred Heart, No. 1 Saint Francis got the better of it in its next game by an 11-0 final score. 

Team Records:
Sacred Heart (27-28)
LIU (32-20)  
Saint Francis (39-12)

Game 1: SHU 6, LIU 3
Pitchers:
Sam Kowalski (SHU) – (W, 7.0 innings pitched, 3 earned runs, 12 strikeouts, 15-11 record)
Lindsey Cowans (LIU) – (L, 2.1 innings pitched, 2 earned runs, 1 strikeout, 17-11 record)
Kira Buckner (LIU) – (4.2 innings pitched, 3 earned runs, 1 strikeout)

Top Performers:
Cierra Bender (SHU) – 2-4, 2 runs, 2 RBIs, 1 home run
Charlene Davis (SHU) – 2-3, 1 RBI, 1 double 

Of Note:
SHU drew first blood in the top of the second inning, taking advantage of a hit-by-pitch and a double to go up 1-0. Carly Koltko started the frame by being hit with a pitch before getting to third on a sac bunt and a wild pitch. With one out, Charlene Davis slammed a double to left to plate the game's first run. 

The Pioneers picked up right where they left off in the third, putting two more runs on the scoreboard to extend the lead to 3-0. With two on and one out, Koltko sent a double to the left-center gap to bring Cierra Bender home. After intentionally walking Davis to load the bases, Nicole Henke worked an RBI walk to bring in the second run of the frame. 

In the circle, Sam Kowalski was cruising at the start of today's contest, tallying seven strikeouts in her first seven outs. 

SHU gave the cruising Kowalski more of a cushion in the top of the fourth with runs in its third consecutive inning. With Victoria LoPinto on after a single, Bender slammed a homer to center, her third long ball this year. 

The Sharks cut into SHU's 5-1 lead in the bottom of the fifth, plating two to send the game into the sixth 5-3. 

In the sixth, the rain, which was light throughout the beginning of the game, picked up and forced a stoppage from the umpires. Without an end of the precipitation in sight, it was decided that the tournament's second game would finish the following morning. 

After resuming the game at 10 a.m., Kowalski worked out of a two-on, no-out jam in the top of the sixth with back-to-back strikeouts. 

Henke gave SHU an insurance run in the top of the seventh, providing Kowalski more than enough cushion to earn her 15th win of the season. The sophomore struck out the game's final batter, giving her 12 K's, which tied a career high. 

Game 2: SFU 11, SHU 0 (5 inn.)
Pitchers:
Emily Heath (SHU) – (L, 1.0 innings pitched, 8 earned runs, 12-12 record)
Sam Kowalski (SHU) – (1.0 innings pitched, 0 earned runs, 2 strikeouts)
Genevieve Gleason (SHU) – (2.0 innings pitched, 3 earned runs, 1 strikeout)
Grace Vesco (SFU) – (W, 4.0 innings pitched, 0 earned runs, 5 strikeouts 18-7 record)
Allie Braly (SFU) – (1.0 innings pitched, 0 earned runs, 1 strikeouts)

Top Performers:
Victoria LoPinto (SHU) – 1-2
Carly Koltko (SHU) – 1-2

Of Note:
The Red Flash controlled the action in game three of the tournament, opening the contest with four runs in the top of the first. 

Saint Francis added seven runs over the next two innings to take an 11-0 advantage, which was the final score. 

The Pioneers finished the five-inning contest with a pair of hits, one from Victoria LoPinto and one from Carly Koltko. LoPinto's hit was a line drive to right field that was inches away from clearing the fence. 

In the circle, Emily Heath, Kowalski and Genevieve Gleason all appeared for SHU. Heath and Kowalski both threw 1.0 innings, with Kowalski racking up two strikeouts over four batters faced. Gleason tossed the final 2.0 innings for the Pioneers, striking out one. 

Up Next:
The Pioneers will next play in the fifth game of the NEC Championship, battling the winner of LIU and Central in an elimination game at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 11.