STEUBENVILLE – The Franciscan softball team ended its record-setting season as the Lady Barons dropped the ECAC Tournament first round game to Pfeiffer, 7-0, Wednesday afternoon.
 
The Lady Barons wrap up their season with a 24-15 overall record after earning a bid to the ECAC Tournament for the first time in program history. Franciscan drew Pfeiffer for the opening round game which was the first meeting between the two teams. The Falcons improved to 34-7 on the year and will head to Penn State Behrend for the weekend for the conclusion of the tournament.
 
The Falcons got on the board first in the bottom of the first inning as Alexis Walter scored on a wild pitch after getting to third thanks to her double and a ground out from Mackenzie Pennell. Freshman Sarah Keating came out in relief in the first inning of senior Amanda Pulice and after a first-batter walk, Keating got Reece Davis to pop to up to senior Anna Ames in foul territory to end the inning.
 
Freshman Chloe Cross had the first hit of the day for the Lady Barons as she doubled to center with two outs in the second but was stranded out there.
 
Keating held the Falcons scoreless through the next two-plus innings before Pfeiffer tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the fourth. With two outs and the bases loaded, Walter singled to third and K Miller came home to score. Keating ended the inning as she nabbed a rocket that came right back to her to limit the damage.
 
Pfeiffer added a pair of runs in the fifth to take a 4-0 lead and a two-run home run in the sixth pushed the Falcon lead to 6-0. After another run came home on a ground out back to the pitched, sophomore Allyson Weiss had a head's up play at second to keep the score 7-0. With a runner at third and one out, a ground ball came back to Weiss and instead of going to first, Weiss fired a strike to Cross behind the plate to nab the runner coming home for the second out.
 
The Lady Barons went down in order in the top of the seventh as the Falcons earned an ECAC Tournament win.