Moon Township, Pa. - The Robert Morris University softball team snapped a three-game losing streak Thursday afternoon at the North Athletic Complex by sweeping a doubleheader of Youngstown State in non-conference action. The Colonials claimed a 3-1 victory in game one, followed by a 9-6 win in the night cap. The pair of wins improves RMU to 20-16 on the 2008 campaign.
The Penguins jumped out to a quick 1-0 advantage in game one when Rochelle Vanyi led off the contest with a home run to left field off senior Brenna Reed (Carnegie, Pa. / Montour). However, that would be the only hit Reed would allow in five innings of work on the afternoon, as she allowed just other two base runners, both coming courtesy of walks.
The score remained 1-0 in favor of Youngstown State until the bottom of the fifth inning, when Robert Morris plated a pair of runs to take a 2-1 lead.
Sophomore Megan Lynch (Allison Park, Pa. / Shaler) started the rally by singling to center with one out. Junior Megan Picnic (Cliffside, N.J. / Immaculate Heart) pinch-ran for Lynch and advanced a base when freshman Kayla Crooks (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Brashear) bounced out to second base. Freshman Jessica Calderone (Wilmington, Del. / St. Marks) followed by connecting for her second home run of the year off of YSU starter Becky Hibner to push the Colonials in front, 2-1.
RMU added another run in the bottom of the sixth as junior Kristin McDaniel (Yardley, Pa. / Pennsbury) hit a two-out single to left that scored Reed. Freshman Lindsey Moates (Ocala, Fla. / Forest) pitched the final two innings to record her first collegiate save, allowing just one hit. Calderone finished 2-for-2 with a run and two RBI in the game one victory, reaching base safely three times thanks to a walk.
In game two Robert Morris jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the first on the strength of four hits, a walk and a hit batsman. Reed supplied a two-run single, McDaniel hit a two-run home run and Lynch followed McDaniel by connecting for a solo shot for back-to-back Colonial round trippers.
RMU never trailed in game two, despite the Penguins scoring a pair of runs in the top of the second, one in the third and three in the sixth. The majority of the offense for Youngstown State in the second game came courtesy of Kristen McDonnell, who smacked a pair of home runs and collected five RBI.
Reed also drove in five runs, producing a pair of two-run singles and an RBI single in the bottom of the fourth for the Colonials. She finished 3-for-4 at the plate and scored once, while Calderone went 3-for-4 with three runs scored. McDaniel finished 2-for-4 with a run and two RBI.
Freshman Annie Dubovec (Chagrin Falls, Ohio / Kenston) allowed six earned runs in six innings of work and improved to 2-3 on the year in the circle, while Moates recorded the final three outs to post her second consecutive save.
Robert Morris returns to action Saturday, April 19, when it welcomes Monmouth to the North Athletic Complex for a Northeast Conference doubleheader. First pitch for game one is slated for 1:00 p.m.
Notes: The win in game two gave the Colonials 20 wins on the season, the 14th time in head coach Craig Coleman's 18 years RMU has reached the plateau ... Calderone finished 5-for-6 in the doubleheader against the Penguins and has now hit safely in 10 straight games and 19 of her last 21 ... During her 10-game hitting streak Calderone is hitting a white hot .629 (22-for-35), recording multi-hit games on eight occasions ... Reed established a career high with five RBI and is the 12th different Colonial in school history to drive in five runs in a game.
