Pizzano homers, scores three times, but Bryant defeated in doubleheader at Saint Francis U

LORETTO, Pa. – Senior Gianna Pizzano (Saugus, Mass.) homered, stole a base and scored three times, but the Bryant University softball team was defeated by Saint Francis U in both ends of a doubleheader Sunday at Red Flash Field.

GAME INFORMATION

Game 1: Saint Francis U 12, Bryant 2 (6 inn.)
Game 2: Saint Francis 8, Bryant 3

Records: Bryant (12-25, 6-6 NEC) | Saint Francis U (30-17, 10-0 NEC)
Location: Red Flash Field (Loretto, Pa.)

Game 1 - W|L: Abby Trahan (22-11) | Logan Paul (5-4)
Game 2 - W|L: Adrian Smith (8-6)| Colby Norris (1-4)

KEY MOMENT (Game 1)

• The Red Flash led off the bottom of the first with a home run and scored four times in the inning. Saint Francis U led 5-0 through two innings.

HOW IT HAPPENED (Game 1)

• A Cheyenne McKee leadoff homer got the Red Flash on the board in the first.
• SFU would score three more times in the frame, via a two-run single and RBI single.
• The Red Flash tacked on another run in the second to go ahead 5-0.
• An RBI single from sophomore Tiffany Bell (Egg Harbor City, N.J.) plated sophomore Helaina Michaud (Phoenixville, Pa.) in the top of the third to cut it to 5-1.
• Saint Francis U would add a run in the bottom of the inning on a sac fly before two solo homers in the bottom of the fourth put the Red Flash ahead 8-1.
• Pizzano homered to left-center in the top of the fifth – her third of the year – to bring Bryant within 8-2.
• A solo homer from Sierra McKee in the bottom of the sixth put the Red Flash up 9-2.
• Jordan Frank hit a game-ending three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth for the 12-2 final in six innings.

STATS (Game 1)

• The Bulldogs tallied five hits in the opening game – two from Pizzano and one each from Bell, senior Robyn Ukegawa (Carlsbad, Calif.) and Michaud.
• Pizzano added her second stolen base of the year – and second in as many games – in the third inning.

KEY MOMENTS (Game 2)

• A two-run triple from freshman Dakota Bilodeau (Milford, N.H.) in the top of the second scored Pizzano and Ukegawa to put Bryant ahead 2-1.
• Saint Francis U scored five times in the bottom of the inning, capped off by a Hayley Norton grand slam to give the Red Flash a 6-2 lead.

HOW IT HAPPENED (Game 2)

• Sierra McKee hit a first-inning RBI double to strike first for the Red Flash.
• Bilodeau roped a two-run triple to score Pizzano and Ukegawa, putting Bryant ahead 2-1 in the top of the second.
• Saint Francis U responded in the bottom of the frame, as a bases-loaded walk was followed by a Hayley Norton grand slam for a 6-2 Red Flash lead.
• SFU added a two-run homer – its seventh of the day – for an 8-2 advantage in the fifth.
• Junior Jessica Gradillas (Nogales, Ariz.) cut into the deficit with a sixth-inning sac fly for the final 8-3 margin.

STATS (Game 2)

• Four Bulldogs – Bell, freshman Alexandra Hickey (St. John, Ind.), Pizzano and Bilodeau – picked up hits in the contest.
• Bilodeau's hit was her first-career triple, while Bell's was her first double of 2018.
• Freshman Adriana Sanchez (Clyde, Ohio) allowed one hit and one earned run over the final two innings. 

GAME NOTES

• Bryant drops to 9-9 all-time against Saint Francis U.
• Bryant had allowed 29 home runs in its first 35 games of 2018 before facing a Saint Francis team that ranks in the top 10 nationally in home runs.

UP NEXT
Bryant returns to action Tuesday as the Bulldogs face UConn at 3 p.m. in a makeup of a postponed game from April 3.