Published: May 10, 2008 11:44 pm            

Flash split on Day 1, but still in hunt

BROOKLYN, N.Y — Ayzsha Ervin’s pinch-hit RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning handed No. 3 St. Francis a tough 4-3 loss at the hands of No. 1 seed Long Island in the second round of the Northeast Conference tournament on Saturday evening.

The Red Flash had the perennial NEC power on it’s heels for a good part of the game, but Ervin came through in the clutch with the bases loaded and two outs.

She hit a 2-2 pitch into right field to end the game.

It was just the fourth RBI of the season for Ervin.

St. Francis will face No. 2 Robert Morris in a rematch of the teams’ first round game at 10 a.m. today.

The Red Flash defeated the Colonials 4-1 in Saturday’s first game.

Long Island will await the winner of that game in a 12:30 p.m. match-up for the conference title.

The Red Flash/Colonials winner will need to beat the Blackbirds twice to gain the NEC’s automatic bid into the NCAA tournament.

Ervin’s single spoiled another gutsy effort on the mound by junior Laura Caldwell. The All-NEC second team hurler ran into trouble when Mariesha Marker sent a one-out double into right-centerfield.

Jessie DePippo walked and Vanessa Mejia was hit by a pitch to load the bases with two outs.

Sophomore Kelly Cortese and junior Kelly Slingwine had two hits each for the Red Flash. Junior Kara Stroup hit her team-best 10th home run of the year.

Between the two games, Caldwell tossed 132⁄3 innings, breaking an 18-year-old single-season school record for innings pitched in the process. Lexie Chamberlain pitched 194 innings in 1990. Caldwell has 202.

Senior Nicole Bender, a Cambria Heights graduate, and junior Nicole Waligora (Westmont Hilltop) provided the offensive spark to lead St. Francis in it’s first game, an upset of No. 2 Robert Morris.

Tied at 1 in the top of the seventh inning, Bender provided the spark St. Francis needed to gain control of the game. She roped the first pitch she saw for a double to the fence in right-centerfield.

Cortese laid down a sacrifice bunt and the throw was dropped at first base, allowing Bender to score the go ahead run from second base.

Junior Kelly Slingwine reached on a fielder’s choice and stole second base to put runners on second and third with nobody out. Waligora then laced a two-run, ground-rule double that bounce over the fence in left field to make it 4-1 Red Flash.

        

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