Moon Township, Pa. ? The Robert Morris University softball team took a pair of games against Northeast Conference opponent Central Conn. State, 4-3 and 10-3, Saturday afternoon at the North Athletic Complex. The Colonials, winners of six straight, ran their overall record to 17-13 and are now 7-1 in NEC action. The seven game winning streak is the teams longest since the 2005 season when RMU took eight straight games from May 4 through May 15.
Lead by a 3-for4 performance from freshman Jessica Calderone (Wilmington, De. / St. Marks), the Colonials took game one, 4-3. Calderone lead off the game with a home run to left field, giving RMU a, 1-0, lead. Robert Morris added two more runs in the third inning, when Calderone lead off the inning with a single and later scored on Brooke Panepinto's (Belle Vernon, Pa. /Belle Vernon) sixth home run of the season, making the score, 3-0, before CCSU got on the board. Calderone again had her hand in a Colonial run in the fourth inning when she singled down the left field line, driving in Camille Kline (Titusville, Pa. / Titusville).
The Blue Devils scored three runs in the fifth, pulling to within one run, but senior pitcher Brenna Reed (Carnegie, Pa. / Montour) shut Central Conn. State down in the sixth and seventh innings giving her, her fifth victory of the season. Reed allowed three runs on only two hits, while striking out three batters.
Robert Morris wasted no time in game two, jumping to a, 6-0, lead after three innings. Calderone lead off the game by reaching first base on an error and was bunted to second by Lauren Nisivoccia (Nutley, N.J. / Mount St. Dominic). After Panepinto reached base on an error, Reed drove in Calderone with a RBI single giving the Colonials a, 1-0, lead. Nisivoccia drove in Annie Dubovec (Chargin Falls, Ohio / Kenston) with a single in the second inning putting RMU up by a pair.
Robert Morris opened the flood gates in the third inning with four runs. The Colonials got going with back-to-back singles by Reed and Susan Perich (Center, Pa. / Center). The next batter, Megan Lynch (Allison Park, Pa. / Shaler) reached base by way of a fielder's choice, when Reed was thrown out at third base. Kristin McDaniel (Yardley, Pa. / Pennsbury) singled to left field loading the bases, before Kline drove a two RBI single to center field, scoring pinch runner Megan Picinic (Cliffside Park, N.J. / Immaculate Heart) and Perich. Kline later scored on a wild pitch and Dubovec scored as Calderone reached base on an error, making the score, 6-0.
CCSU made the score, 6-3, in the top of the fourth inning with a three run home run by Jaclyn Logan, but the Colonials added four more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, highlighted by a pair of RBI doubles by Perich and McDaniel.
Lindsey Moates (Ocala, Pa. / Forest) recorded a career high 12 strikeouts, picking up her 11th victory of the season, allowing three runs on six hits
