St. Francis taking a swing at NEC

For The Tribune-Democrat

BROOKLYN, N.Y. May 08, 2008 11:54 pm

— St. Francis enters its first Northeast Conference softball championship tournament since 2002 in style.
The Red Flash have won 10 of their past 11 conference games and 13 of 19 overall.
St. Francis coach Sabrina Lane, in just her second year, has her team playing well heading into today’s games.
“We certainly picked up some steam in that last stretch of the season,” Lane stated. “We peaked at the right times and it got us to where we wanted to be, the Northeast Conference playoffs. ... If our girls continue to compete at this level, I firmly believe we will be a tough team to take down in the playoffs.”
Local products have played a key role in the Red Flash’s success. Cambria Heights graduate Nicole Bender broke the school’s single-season records for hits (62) and runs scored (42). Her eight home runs rank sixth on the single-season charts. The senior from Patton is the school’s all-time leader in career hits (183) and runs (114) and ranks second in home runs (25).
Junior Nicole Waligora, a Westmont Hilltop graduate, has drawn 20 walks and is fourth on the program’s single-season on-base percentage list at .440.
Central Cambria graduate Jamie Dixon and Chesnut Ridge’s Janell McCoy also play for the Red Flash.
The third-seeded Red Flash will face No. 2 Robert Morris this afternoon in the first round of the playoffs.