Tuscon, AZ -- Sophomore Sierra McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) hit a grand slam to lead the Saint Francis Softball team to its first ever NCAA Tournament win on Saturday, an 8-4 victory over New Mexico State.  In SFU's second game of the day, the Red Flash battled South Carolina, but fell 3-1.
 
The Red Flash, led by Head Coach Jennifer Patrick-Swift, finished a record-breaking season with a 49-11 record.  Saint Francis broke the school and NEC record for wins, earned its first ever Northeast Conference Title and made its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament in program history.
 
With its win over New Mexico State, the Red Flash claimed Saint Francis athletics' first ever win in an NCAA Tournament.
 
McKee's go-ahead grand slam in the fifth inning of game one was her second of the season and the Red Flash's sixth as a team.   
 
First Game (vs. New Mexico State)
 
Senior Ethel Santai (Pine Grove, Pa./Pine Grove Area), the NEC Pitcher of the Year, threw 6.1 shutout innings to help the Red Flash to a comeback win.  Santai allowed seven hits and a walk, but struck out three batters.  The senior retired five of the first six batters she faced and had another stretch of six straight batters retired.
 
With the win, Santai improved to 19-2 on the year and tied Patricia Galayda (1998) for the SFU season wins record.
 
Senior Ketarah DeVries (Forreston, Ill./Forreston) started in the circle for the Red Flash.  She went two-thirds of an inning, allowing four runs on five hits, while striking out one batter.
 
Kayla Green got the start for New Mexico State.  She threw 4.1 innings, giving up four runs on five hits, while striking out four batters and walking three.  Samaria Diaz went two-thirds of an inning, allowing three runs on a hit and two walks.  Fahren Glackin entered in the bottom of the sixth and threw one inning, giving up a run and a hit.
 
Sierra McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) had SFU's biggest hit of the game, with her second grand slam of the season.  Sophomore Kassidy Troxell (Navarre, Ohio/Perry) went two-for-three with a double, a homer, two runs and two RBI.  Sophomore Mikayla Bower (Williamsport, Pa./Williamsport) added her second homer of the season.  Senior Kindra Witthus (Hudson, Wis./Hudson) drove in a run, while sophomore Cheyenne McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) and junior Jordan Seneca (Plum, Pa./Plum) each drew two walks and scored a run.
 
Kaitlyn Rubio had two hits and drove in two runs to lead the Aggies' offense.  Rachel Rodriguez and Caity Szczesny each had two hits and Kelsey Horton added a double.
 
New Mexico State got four runs on the board in the top of the first.  With two outs, a single up the middle by Glackin plated Horton, who reached on a fielder's choice.  Two batters later, Rubio hit a sharp single to left to bring in Glackin and Victoria Castro, who reached on a bunt single earlier in the inning.  Haley Nakamura followed with a lined single to left to score Szczesny, who was hit by a pitch to reach base. 
 
The Red Flash threatened to score in the bottom of the fourth.  With one out, Seneca worked a six-pitch walk.  She advanced to second on a wild pitch before S. McKee drew her own walk.  However, a fielder's choice and a strikeout ended the inning and the SFU threat.
 
Saint Francis took the lead in the bottom of the fifth on McKee's grand slam.  Troxell began the inning by lining a double to the wall in left. Marion then chopped a grounder to third to reach on an infield single and move Troxell to third.  Witthus followed with a sacrifice fly to left to bring home Troxell.  C. McKee and Seneca drew walks to load the bases for Sierra McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois), who lined a 2-0 pitch off of the Batter's Eye in center for her second grand slam of the season.  The Red Flash led 5-4 after five innings.
 
The Red Flash added three runs, on two homers, in the bottom of the sixth.  Junior Madison Cabell (Ivor, Va./Southampton) started the inning with a line-drive double to left center.  After a pitching change, Troxell launched a fly ball into the seats beyond the left field wall for a two-run homer.  After another pitching change, Bower made it back-to-back homers, with her own dinger to left to put SFU ahead, 8-4.
 
Second Game (vs. South Carolina)
 
NEC Rookie of the Year Abby Trahan (Kaplan, La./Kaplan) threw all seven innings for the Red Flash, but took the loss to finish the season with a 15-4 record.  Trahan allowed three runs on seven hits, while striking out two and walking three batters.  She held the Gamecocks scoreless in five of her seven innings. 
 
Jessica Elliott started in the circle for the Gamecocks.  In 5.2 innings, she gave up an unearned run on seven hits, walked six batters and struck out four.  Nickie Blue threw the final inning-and-a-third, allowing a hit and striking out two batters.
 
Senior Kindra Witthus (Hudson, Wis./Hudson) went three-for-four and scored a run.  Sophomore Cheyenne McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) had two hits, while Hayley Norton (Spring Grove, Pa./Spring Grove), Kassidy Troxell (Navarre, Ohio/Perry) and Halle Marion (Middletown, Pa./Middletown) each collected one hit.  Junior Jordan Seneca (Plum, Pa./Plum) was walked all four times she came to the plate.
 
Mackenzie Boesel led the South Carolina offense with a two-run homer, her third homer of the weekend.  Victoria Williams had two hits and drove in a run, while Tiara Duffy had two hits and scored a run.  Kamryn Watts also had a hit and a run.
 
The Gamecocks got on the board in the top of the first.  Williams singled to center to drive in Duffy, who had reached on a leadoff single. 
 
The Red Flash loaded the bases in the bottom of the second, but could not push a run across.  With two outs, Witthus lined a single to right, which was bobbled by the right fielder to allow Witthus to go to second.  McKee hit a hard liner back to the pitcher, who dropped it to put runners on first and second before a walk by Seneca loaded the bases.  However, a strikeout ended the inning and the SFU threat.
 
Saint Francis put two runners on base in the bottom of the third.  With two outs, Troxell lined a single to center.  She moved to second on a wild pitch before Mikayla Bower (Williamsport, Pa./Williamsport) drew a four-pitch walk.  However, a grounder back to the pitcher ended the frame to keep SFU scoreless.
 
The Red Flash again loaded the bases in the bottom of the fourth.  Witthus led off the inning with an infield single to second.  Two batters later, Seneca drew a six-pitch walk.  Norton followed with a pop up that landed out of reach of the pitcher for an infield single to load the bases.  However, a pop out to second ended the inning.
 
South Carolina added two runs in the top of the fifth.  Watts reached on a bunt single to begin the inning.  Two batters later, Boesel hit a fly ball that just cleared the fence in center to extend the Gamecocks' lead to 3-0.
 
The Red Flash cut the deficit to two in the bottom of the sixth.  Witthus chopped a single over the third baseman for her third hit of the day.  Seneca drew her fourth walk of the day before Norton drew a walk to load the bases.  Madison Cabell (Ivor, Va./Southampton) then hit a grounder to the shortstop, who tried to throw the ball to third on a fielder's choice, but everyone was safe on the play, including Witthus, who scored from third to cut the deficit to 3-1.