Moon Township, Pa. - The Robert Morris University softball team swept non-conference opponent Pittsburgh Thursday afternoon at the North Athletic Complex. The Colonials defeated the Panthers, 10-1, in 4.5 innings in game one while taking game two, 5-4, with a Jill Dorsch (Sewickley, Pa. / North Allegheny) infield single in the bottom of the seventh inning. The sweep of the Panthers improved the Colonials record to 16-22 overall.
Both teams scored a run in the second inning of game one. Samantha Card hit a solo home run for Pittsburgh, while the Colonials got a run from Dorsch off a single from Camille Kline (Titusville, Pa. / Titusville).
With the score tied at one through two innings, the Colonials bats came alive, they scored five runs in the third and four runs in the fourth inning. Brooke Panepinto (Belle Vernon, Pa. / Belle Vernon) started the run fiesta with a hit a two run shot, scoring Lauren Nisivoccia (Nutley, N.J. / Mount St. Dominic). After Ashlee Smith (Mechanicsville, Va. / Lee-Davis) and Dorsch singles, Susan Perich (Center, Pa. / Center) capped off the inning with a three-run home run, putting the Colonials up, 6-1.
RMU tacked on four more runs in the fourth inning, when Kristin McDaniel (Yardley, Pa. / Pennsbury) led off the inning with a single and would later score on a Nisivoccia single and Panther error. Nisivoccia later scored on a Panepinto single to center field and Smith closed out the inning with a two-run home run putting the Colonials up 10-1.
Brenna Reed (Carnegie, Pa. / Montour) recorded the victory in game one, pitching five innings, allowing only one run on five hits. She also struck out two batters.
RMU played small ball in game two of the double header, scoring one run in the first inning. Jill Spargo (Warren, Pa. / Warren) led off the game with an infield single, before advancing to second base on a wild pitch. Smith drove her home three batters later with an RBI single to center field.
The Panthers came back to score four runs in the third inning, but the Colonials quickly tied the game at four in their half of the third inning. Spargo once again led off the inning with an infield single and two batters later, Panepinto hit her second home run of the day and her seventh of the season. The next batter, Smith, reached on an error and would later score, when Megan Picinic (Cliffside Park, N.J. / Immaculate Heart) also reached base on a Panther error.
Both teams were held scoreless for the next 3.5 innings, until the Colonials came to bat in the bottom of the seventh inning. Nisivoccia reached base on an error by Pittsburgh shortstop Sheena Hellon and then advanced to second base on an error by the left fielder Morgan Howard. Both Panepinto and Smith got out, brining Dorsch up to the plate with two-outs. Dorsch came through for the Colonials with an infield single allowing Nisivoccia to score the game winning run, giving RMU a 5-4 victory.
Reed again came away with the victory in game two, pitching 4.1 innings allowing only two hits and zero runs, while striking out three batters.
