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Loretto, PA -- In a season of firsts for Saint Francis U, this one was the biggest.

Playing in front of their home fans, the Red Flash captured their first NEC Softball Championship on Saturday, defeating Wagner, 11-2, in six innings. SFU's 48th win not only propelled the Flash to the NCAA Tournament for the first time, but also established a new single-season conference record for victories, surpassing the 47 won by UMBC back in 2002. Saint Francis U has now won 21 games, 36 of its last 37, and won all 19 of its games against NEC competition this season.

Saint Francis U will find where they are headed during Sunday's NCAA selection show set to air live on ESPN2 at 10:00 pm.

The Red Flash wasted no time grabbing the lead, as Kassidy Troxell (Navarre, OH/Perry) laced an RBI double in the top of the second to score Sierra McKee (DuBois, PA/DuBois) for a 1-0 lead. It could have been more, but Wagner leftfielder Lauren Serrato (Litchfield Park, AZ/Verrado) gunned down Cabell at the plate after a flyout.

Saint Francis U had an opportunity to increase its lead after loading the bases with no outs on two walks and a hit-by-pitch in the top of the third, but Wagner allowed just one run in the inning on Madison Cabell's (Ivor, VA/Southampton) RBI single.

Saint Francis U extended its lead to 4-0 in the fourth on Cheyenne McKee (DuBois, PA/DuBois) sent a two-run shot over the centerfield wall, her eighth homer of the year.

Wagner scored its first run in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI double from Amelia Van Orman (Orange, CA/Lutheran High School or Orange). With runners on second and third, Abby Trahan (Kaplan, LA/Kaplan) relieved Ethel Santai (Pine Grove, PA/Pine Grove Area) and induced a groundout to limit the damage to one run.

The Red Flash added a run in the fifth inning to make it 5-1 on Halle Marion's (Middletown, PA/Middletown) infield single, but Wagner responded with a run of its own in the bottom of the frame on Serrato's solo shot to rightfield.

SFU exploded for a six-run sixth inning to take the 11-2 lead and bring the Red Flash to within three outs of the title. The offensive outbreak started when Red Flash loaded the bases. Jordan Seneca (Plum, PA/Plum) scored the first run on a throwing error. Sierra McKee sent the next runner home on a sacrifice bunt, prompting a pitching change. Troxell singled in the next run, Kindra Witthus (Hudson, WI/Hudson) doubled in two more and Cheyenne McKee capped the outburst with an RBI double to left-center.    

Ketarah DeVries (Forreston, IL/Forreston) entered in the sixth to close it out for the Red Flash. The last out came on a pickoff at second base.

Wagner’s Morgan Brown (Buckeye, AZ/Verrado) started and went four innings, allowed four earned runs on eight hits.

Cabell went 4-for-4 with an RBI for the Red Flash. Cheyenne McKee finished 2-for-4 with two runs and three RBIs. Troxell and Witthus each drove in a pair of runs.

Saint Francis U outfielder Sierra McKee (DuBois, PA/DuBois) was named Tournament MVP after going 5-for-8 with six runs, three RBI, three walks and four stolen bases in three tourney games. She hit .625 and posted a 1.000 slugging percentage. McKee went 1-2 with three runs scored in Saturday's title game and belted the game-tying homer in the bottom of the seventh in Friday's win over Robert Morris.

Along with McKe, SFU had Cabell, Marion and Santai earn All-Tournament honors. Cabell batted .700 and had a team-high seven hits over the tournament with a .900 slugging percentage and two RBIs. Marion went 5-for-9 (.556) with two runs, two RBI and a .667 slugging percentage. Santai finished with a 0.95 ERA and allowed just seven hits over 7.1 innings during the tournament. In the championship game, she tossed 3.2 innings and allowed four hits and one run to earn her 18th win of the year against just one setback.

Brianna Tredway (Downingtown, PA/Downingtown West) went 2-for-3 for Wagner on Saturday and was named to the All-Tournament team. She finished the tournament with six RBIs. Alyssa Tucker (Laguna Niguel, CA/Santa Margarita Catholic) and Amelia Van Orman (Orange, CA/Lutheran High School of Orange County) were also tabbed to the All-Tourney squad for the Seahawks.

NEC All-Tournament Team
Sieraa McKee (MVP)
Ethal Santai, SFU
Halle Marion, SFU
Maddison Cabell, SFU
Brianna Tredway, WAG
Alyssa Tucker, WAG
Amelia Van Orman, WAG
Victoria D'Addario, SHU
Katelyn Christian, SHU
Taylor Bartlow RMU