STEUBENVILLE, Ohio -  La Roche softball opened the 2026 on the road against Franciscan and in game one would fall in a pitcher's duel, while game two saw the Redhawks explode offensively for a dominant victory.

GAME ONE - Franciscan 4 La Roche 1

The first two innings set the tone as a tight pitcher's duel. Taylor Young kept Franciscan off balance early, and our defense backed her up with clean play behind her.

Offensively, we generated traffic. Maura Wade sparked the lineup from the leadoff spot, finishing a perfect 3-for-3 with a walk and a double. We put runners on in multiple innings but couldn't push an early run across.

The game shifted in the third inning when Franciscan capitalized on one swing. Emma Davis doubled to left field, driving in two runs to give the home team a 2–0 lead.

Young settled back in after the inning, limiting further damage and keeping us within striking distance. She battled through five innings, allowing four runs on four hits while striking out three.

In the sixth, Franciscan extended its lead on a two-run home run by Elizabeth Forster, stretching the margin to 4–0. Despite the setback, we continued to compete at the plate and pressure their defense.

La Roche broke through in the seventh. Wade reached and later came around to score on a sacrifice fly from Anastacia Jacobs, cutting the deficit to 4–1 and avoiding the shutout.

The Redhawks threatened further with disciplined at-bats — drawing six walks on the day — but couldn't string together the timely hit needed to complete the comeback.

By the Numbers

• 7 hits, 6 walks

• Maura Wade: 3-for-3, double, run scored, stolen base

• Ashlee Bair: 2-for-3

• Taylor Young: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 3 K

GAME TWO - La Roche 17 Franciscan 7

After a tough start earlier in the day, we responded in emphatic fashion, exploding for 17 runs on 20 hits to earn a 17–7 victory at Franciscan and even our record at 1–1.

From the opening inning, our offense set the tone.

We wasted no time putting pressure on the Barons. The first inning saw us send 12 batters to the plate and score seven runs.

Maura Wade got things started with an RBI single. From there, we capitalized on defensive miscues, aggressive base running, and timely hits. Brooke Murgenovich delivered the big blow of the inning — a two-run double — part of her four-RBI afternoon that helped stake us to a commanding 7–0 lead.

Franciscan answered with two runs in the bottom half and added three more in the second to trim the margin to 7–5, but we never let them seize control.

The fourth inning proved pivotal. We plated five more runs to extend our lead to 12–5. Finley Hohn contributed a sacrifice fly, Ashlee Bair drew an RBI walk, and Murgenovich added another two-run single to keep the pressure on.

Franciscan pushed across two runs in the bottom of the fourth, but that was as close as they would get.

In the fifth, Hohn drove in another run on a groundout, and Rachel Malatok followed with an RBI single to stretch the advantage to 14–7.

We put the finishing touches on the game in the seventh. Gabby Sbraccia ripped an RBI double, and Klover Haberthier launched a two-run homer to right field to cap the scoring at 17–7.

Haberthier finished with three RBIs and earned the win in the circle, tossing 5.2 innings in relief while allowing just two runs and striking out three to stabilize the game after an early Franciscan rally.

Offensive Firepower

The numbers tell the story:

• 20 hits, 17 runs

• Brooke Murgenovich: 3-for-5, 4 RBIs

• Maura Wade: 3-for-5, double, triple, 2 runs

• Gabby Sbraccia: 3-for-5, double, 3 runs

• Rachel Malatok: 3-for-4, RBI

• Klover Haberthier: 2-for-4, HR, 3 RBIs