LORETTO, Pa. – The LIU softball team saw their season come to an end Saturday, as the Sharks fell to top seed Saint Francis U. in the Northeast Conference championship game, 12-4.
 
Maya Avila, Kiana Cisneros and Camryn Lyman were named to the NEC All-Tournament team for their play over the past three days.
 
The Red Flash broke the game open in the bottom of the second inning. With two outs, the home team scored nine runs on nine hits and two walks, going up 9-0.
 
The Sharks got on the board in the next frame. Sophomore Maya Avila led off with a single, and Samantha Garcia reached on an error. Senior Katie Hinkle advanced both runners, and a single from senior Patricia Griffin would score one. A fielder's choice from Camryn Lyman scored the next, and the Sharks were on the board, 9-2.
 
The Sharks added two more in the fourth. Cisneros led off with a single, and came home on the next at bat, when senior Ryleigh Bermea hit a home run over the center field fence to cut the lead to 9-4.
 
But back-to-back home runs by the home team in the bottom of the fourth gave the Red Flash a 12-4 lead.
 
Facing elimination, the Sharks managed to get two runners on and in scoring position in the top of the fifth inning, but SFU's defense got the last out, clinching the 12-4 run-rule win, and the NEC championship title for the fourth straight season.
 
With the loss, LIU finishes the season with a 27-9 overall record.