Saturday, February 14
Charleston, SC
10:00 AM
Sacred Heart University Department of Athletics
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UMass
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Sacred Heart
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Photo by: David Beach
Softball Drops Close Battles Against UMass and Penn on Saturday
2/14/2026 4:01:00 PM | Softball
SHU finished with 14 runs on the day
CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Sacred Heart University softball team saw offensive production come from multiple sources on the second day of the Lowcountry Classic on Saturday in Charleston, S.C., as the Pios ended up suffering a pair of close defeats. SHU fell 11-6 in the opener against UMass before a dramatic comeback led to a 9-8 win for Penn in the nightcap.
Team Records:
Sacred Heart (1-2)
UMass (2-6)
Penn (2-1)
Game 1: UMass 11, SHU 6
Pitchers:
Sam Kowalski (SHU) - (L, 5.0 innings pitched, 5 earned runs, 4 strikeouts, 1-1 record)
Emily Heath (SHU) - (2.0 innings pitched, 4 earned runs)
Hannah Streicher (UMass) - (W, 7.0 innings pitched, 5 earned runs, 6 strikeouts, 2-3 record)
Top Performers:
Cierra Bender – 3-4, 1 run, 1 RBI, 2 doubles
Alexa Barbera – 1-4, 2 RBIs, 1 run, 1 home run
How It Happened:
UMass opened the first game today in the lead, going up 1-0 in the first and 2-0 midway through the second inning.
SHU answered in the home half of the second, as Nicole Henke hit her first home run of the season to cut the margin to one run.
The Pios evened the score in the third, as Cierra Bender's first double of the morning led to a run.
Sacred Heart continued to add runs in the fourth, the first being an RBI single from Elle Leckrone. Leckrone scored on the next at-bat on Bender's second double of the game to build a 4-2 SHU lead.
Unfortunately for the Pios, the Minutewomen scored nine unanswered runs to build a commanding 11-4 lead in the top of the seventh inning.
Alexa Barbera did her best to get SHU back into the game with her first career homer, a two-run shot to center, but it proved to not be enough. UMass held on to take an 11-6 win.
Sam Kowalski and Emily Heath both appeared in the circle in game one. Kowalski struck out four batters over 5.0 innings, while Heath threw 2.0 frames.
Game 2: Penn 9, SHU 8
Pitchers:
Elle Leckrone (SHU) - (3.0 innings pitched, 4 earned runs, 2 strikeouts)
Emily Heath (SHU) - (L, 3.1 innings pitched, 5 earned runs, 4 strikeouts, 0-2 record)
Ainsley Pemberton (Penn) - (2.0 innings pitched, 2 earned runs, 1 strikeout)
Morgan Sullivan (Penn) - (W, 5.0 innings pitched, 1 earned run, 2 strikeouts, 1-0 record)
Top Performers:
Elle Leckrone – 3-5, 3 runs, 1 RBI, 1 home run
Cierra Bender – 2-5, 3 RBIs, 1 run, 1 double
How It Happened:
The Pioneers got off to a good start in game two today, scoring twice in the first inning. With the bases loaded after three singles, Savannah Moore worked a walk to bring in Leckrone from third. With the bases still loaded, Katherine Burras brought in the next run with a sac fly to center field.
SHU exploded for five more runs in the third to build a 7-0 advantage. With two on and one out, Kathryn Hotle made it 3-0 with a single to left center. Bender then continued her doubles show, clearing the bases for three runs with the bases loaded and two out. Bender scored on the next at-bat on a single by Barbera down the right field line.
Unfortunately for the Pioneers, Penn started to chip at the lead in the third, scoring two in the third and two in the fourth to make it 7-4 Pioneers.
Leckrone halted the rally in the top of the fifth with a solo homer to left field to make it 8-4 SHU.
The Quakers were again ready with an answer, scoring two runs in the sixth to make it 8-6 before a three-run seventh sealed a walk-off comeback for Penn, 9-8.
Leckrone and Heath split pitching duties, with Leckrone throwling 3.0 innings and Heath 3.1.
Notes:
Up Next:
SHU concludes play Lowcountry Classic tomorrow with a 10 a.m. matchup against UMass at the College of Charleston.
Team Records:
Sacred Heart (1-2)
UMass (2-6)
Penn (2-1)
Game 1: UMass 11, SHU 6
Pitchers:
Sam Kowalski (SHU) - (L, 5.0 innings pitched, 5 earned runs, 4 strikeouts, 1-1 record)
Emily Heath (SHU) - (2.0 innings pitched, 4 earned runs)
Hannah Streicher (UMass) - (W, 7.0 innings pitched, 5 earned runs, 6 strikeouts, 2-3 record)
Top Performers:
Cierra Bender – 3-4, 1 run, 1 RBI, 2 doubles
Alexa Barbera – 1-4, 2 RBIs, 1 run, 1 home run
How It Happened:
UMass opened the first game today in the lead, going up 1-0 in the first and 2-0 midway through the second inning.
SHU answered in the home half of the second, as Nicole Henke hit her first home run of the season to cut the margin to one run.
The Pios evened the score in the third, as Cierra Bender's first double of the morning led to a run.
Sacred Heart continued to add runs in the fourth, the first being an RBI single from Elle Leckrone. Leckrone scored on the next at-bat on Bender's second double of the game to build a 4-2 SHU lead.
Unfortunately for the Pios, the Minutewomen scored nine unanswered runs to build a commanding 11-4 lead in the top of the seventh inning.
Alexa Barbera did her best to get SHU back into the game with her first career homer, a two-run shot to center, but it proved to not be enough. UMass held on to take an 11-6 win.
Sam Kowalski and Emily Heath both appeared in the circle in game one. Kowalski struck out four batters over 5.0 innings, while Heath threw 2.0 frames.
Game 2: Penn 9, SHU 8
Pitchers:
Elle Leckrone (SHU) - (3.0 innings pitched, 4 earned runs, 2 strikeouts)
Emily Heath (SHU) - (L, 3.1 innings pitched, 5 earned runs, 4 strikeouts, 0-2 record)
Ainsley Pemberton (Penn) - (2.0 innings pitched, 2 earned runs, 1 strikeout)
Morgan Sullivan (Penn) - (W, 5.0 innings pitched, 1 earned run, 2 strikeouts, 1-0 record)
Top Performers:
Elle Leckrone – 3-5, 3 runs, 1 RBI, 1 home run
Cierra Bender – 2-5, 3 RBIs, 1 run, 1 double
How It Happened:
The Pioneers got off to a good start in game two today, scoring twice in the first inning. With the bases loaded after three singles, Savannah Moore worked a walk to bring in Leckrone from third. With the bases still loaded, Katherine Burras brought in the next run with a sac fly to center field.
SHU exploded for five more runs in the third to build a 7-0 advantage. With two on and one out, Kathryn Hotle made it 3-0 with a single to left center. Bender then continued her doubles show, clearing the bases for three runs with the bases loaded and two out. Bender scored on the next at-bat on a single by Barbera down the right field line.
Unfortunately for the Pioneers, Penn started to chip at the lead in the third, scoring two in the third and two in the fourth to make it 7-4 Pioneers.
Leckrone halted the rally in the top of the fifth with a solo homer to left field to make it 8-4 SHU.
The Quakers were again ready with an answer, scoring two runs in the sixth to make it 8-6 before a three-run seventh sealed a walk-off comeback for Penn, 9-8.
Leckrone and Heath split pitching duties, with Leckrone throwling 3.0 innings and Heath 3.1.
Notes:
- Barbera hit her first collegiate home run in the first game.
- Barbera had RBIs in both games today.
- Henke hit her 12th career homer.
- Today marked Bender's first multi-double game, as she hit two-thirds of her total doubles from last season today.
- Bender finished the day with three doubles and four RBIs.
- Hotle tallied her first career RBI in game two.
- Leckrone hit her second career home run.
Up Next:
SHU concludes play Lowcountry Classic tomorrow with a 10 a.m. matchup against UMass at the College of Charleston.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Hannah Streicher (2-3)
L: Kowalski, Sam (1-1)
Batting:
2B: Odyssey Torres 1 ; Lily Woodworth 1 ; Tiegan Walsh 2
3B: Brooke Musch 2 ; Odyssey Torres 1 ; Riley Kairer 1 ; Grace Colucci 1
RBI: Riain Keefe 1 ; Odyssey Torres 3 ; Lillie Scheivert 1 ; Riley Kairer 2 ; Katharine Heslin 1 ; Tiegan Walsh 1
SH: Odyssey Torres 1 ; Riley Kairer 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Riain Keefe 1 ; Brooke Musch 3 ; Odyssey Torres 2 ; Lillie Scheivert 1 ; Riley Kairer 1 ; Grace Colucci 1 ; Tiegan Walsh 2
SB: Brooke Musch 1 ; Odyssey Torres 1 ; Grace Colucci 1
Batting:
2B: Bender, Cierra 2
HR: Barbera, Alexa 1 ; Henke, Nicole 1
RBI: Leckrone, Elle 1 ; Bender, Cierra 1 ; Barbera, Alexa 2 ; Henke, Nicole 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Leckrone, Elle 1 ; Bender, Cierra 1 ; Zito, Madisyn 1 ; Barbera, Alexa 1 ; Henke, Nicole 1 ; Brown, Jess 1
SB: Aiello, Natalie 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
1
H
3
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
OF
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
INF
/ SoftballP/INF
/ SoftballP/UTL
/ Softball
INF
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