Softball Heads to Loretto for Tuesday Doubleheader versus Saint Francis

LEWISBURG, Pa.- Bucknell softball (14-26) completes its non-conference slate tomorrow with a doubleheader against reigning NEC Champion Saint Francis (21-24). The trip will likely serve as Bucknell's last journey to Loretto after Saint Francis announced their intentions to drop to Division III for the 2026-27 academic year. Bucknell will attempt to generate some momentum after dropping a doubleheader to Iona last Thursday before finishing the season at Holy Cross.

The Starting Lineup

What: Doubleheader at Saint Francis
Where: Red Flash Softball Field (Loretto, Pa.)
When: April 29

Bucknell Schedule (All Times EST)

Thursday, April 24
1:30 p.m. | at Saint Francis | Live Stats | NEC Front Row
3:30 p.m. | at Saint Francis | Live Stats | NEC Front Row

The Inside "Herd" on the Bison

Bucknell battled hard against MAAC powerhouse Iona but fell 5-3 and 3-0 to the Catholic institution.
The Bison trailed 1-0 in the first game before some miscues and errors ballooned the score to 5-0. Bucknell staged a dramatic comeback in the seventh inning and trailed 5-3 with the tying run on second and the winning tally at the plate but Savannah Jones's rocket-fueled line drive went right to the pitcher's glove.
Madison Roukey pitched the second game and performed excellently until yielding a three-run homer in the sixth inning to Iona's star power hitter Hailey Guerrero for her 12th bomb of 2025.
Popella's .310 batting average and 23 RBIs lead the team.
Jones's ERA has slid to 3.24 after her recent outings - allowing only two runs in 23 innings.

Overview of the Opposition

Saint Francis- The Red Flash sit at 21-24 overall and 14-7 in NEC play, off their 2024 pace of 41 wins, but SFU clinched a spot in the NEC Tournament with a weekend sweep of Wagner. The two teams were battling for the fourth and final spot in the conference tournament. Savannah Nash is the all-around threat, batting .425 with 12 doubles, ten home runs, 32 RBIs, and 18 stolen bases. SFU's pitching staff lost aces Rachel Marsden and Grace Vesco to graduation and currently has a 4.80 ERA. Allie Braly is the new headliner with a 12-11 record and 2.68 ERA. Saint Francis is weak to the stolen base attempt, yielding 81 steals.

History with the Foe

Saint Francis- Bucknell leads the all-time series 31-28 against SFU but had dropped the last four games. The two teams were scheduled to play last year before weather forced cancellation.

Up Next

Bucknell heads to Holy Cross to finish the regular season, attempting to clinch its third straight Patriot League Tournament bid.