FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Sacred Heart University softball team welcomes Northeast Conference-leading Saint Francis for a home three-game series on Friday and Saturday, Apr. 14-15, at Pioneer Park. The Pios and Red Flash will play a 2 p.m. doubleheader on Friday due to forecasted rain on Sunday. The series finale will take place on Saturday at noon. 

SHU VS. SAINT FRANCIS GAME INFORMATION 
Game 1: Sacred Heart vs. Saint Francis – Friday, April 14; 2:00 p.m. Video | Live Stats
Game 2: Sacred Heart vs. Saint Francis – Friday, April 14; 4:00 p.m. Video | Live Stats
Game 3: Sacred Heart vs. Saint Francis – Saturday, April 15; 12:00 p.m. Video | Live Stats

LAST TIME OUT
SHU took one of three games in its weekend series at CCSU last week, winning the finale in extra innings, 5-4. The Pios and Blue Devils played three competitive games, with all three being decided by two runs or less. Jenna Mowad led the way for the Pioneers with an outstanding series, pacing the team with a .556 batting average, four runs, and four doubles. Amy Petrovich came up huge for Sacred Heart in the series' final game, hitting home runs in both the fifth and eighth innings to give the Pios a late lead. Emily Heath picked up the victory for the Pioneers in Saturday's game, tossing all 8.0 innings with three earned runs and one strikeout.   
POWER-HITTING PIONEERS
One of the Pios' strengths this season has been hitting the long ball. SHU heads into this weekend leading the NEC and ranking 42nd in the country in home runs per game (0.97). Sacred Heart also paces the NEC with 32 total runs this year. Leading the team and conference in homers is Alyssa Gonzalez, with 11. The senior has hit 10+ homers three times in her career and is two away from 50 all-time bombs. Petrovich is next on the team with five dingers, followed closely by Emily Carroll and Nicole Henke with four. The SHU bats have been especially potent over the last two NEC series, with 14 home runs over six games. The team went 4-2 over that stretch, including a sweep of Stonehill. 

SCOUTING SAINT FRANCIS 
The five-time defending NEC Champion Red Flash head into this weekend with a .500 record at 18-18 after falling to Pitt in their most recent contest. Saint Francis swept FDU and took two of three from Wagner in its last two NEC series to move to a league-best 10-2. Following the sweep of FDU, the Red Flash swept the NEC weekly awards, as Grace Vesco was named Pitcher of the Week, Rachel Marsden Player of the Week, and Brianna Sawyers Rookie of the Week. Marsden and Vesco command the SFU pitching staff as both own sub-three ERAs, with Marsden, the reigning NEC Pitcher of the Year, sitting at 2.52 and Vesco at 2.76. Vesco paces her counterpart with 145 strikeouts and 11 wins. Marsden also commands the Red Flash offense with 22 runs, 21 RBI, and six home runs. 

UP NEXT
Sacred Heart will next take a break from NEC play for a home doubleheader against Manhattan on Tuesday, Apr. 18, at 2 p.m.