Baltimore, Md. ? Looking to close out the UMBC Spring Classic with two victories, the Robert Morris University softball team faced Saint Francis (Pa.) and Binghamton on Sunday afternoon. The Colonials were successful in both of their conquests as they downed the Red Flash 8-0, and disposed of Binghamton, 4-3.
In the first game of the day, it took just five innings for RMU to score its first victory of the afternoon. The second inning got rolling when senior Kristin McDaniel (Yardley, Pa. / Pennsbury) led off with a home run over the right field fence. Two batters later, freshman Jaci Timko (Houston, Pa. / Chartiers-Houston) hit her first round tripper of the game to give Robert Morris a 4-0 advantage.
In the fourth, Timko would go on to smash her second home run of the contest and extend the Colonial's lead to 7-0. With her two blasts, Timko recorded six of the Colonial's eight RBI against the Red Flash in the 8-0 victory.
Sophomore Annie Dubovec (Chagrin Falls, Ohio / Kenston) pitched all five scoreless innings against Saint Francis (Pa.). She held the Red Flash to just two hits and allowed only three walks in her fourth win of the year.
After a short first outing, the Colonials needed extra innings to top Binghamton in the second contest on Sunday afternoon. Freshman Alexa Bryson (Greensburg, Pa. / Greater Latrobe) got the starting nod for the Colonials as she improved her record to 5-1 with the extra inning win.
Senior Lauren Nisivoccia (Nutley, NJ / Mount St. Dominic) led the way against the Bearcats by going two-for-three with a double and a single.
Robert Morris took the lead in the second inning with Stacy Davidson's (Akron, Ohio / Springfield) RBI single that drove in senior Susan Perich (Center, Pa. / Center) to put RMU up by one.
The Colonials added another two runs in the third inning with the help of a Bearcat error and a RBI sacrifice bunt from freshman Sarah Capp (McKees Rocks, Pa. / Montour).
Binghamton would tie the game at three all in the bottom of the fifth as they put up all three runs in just one inning. However, it would take another four innings before the deadlock would be broken.
In the top of the ninth, Brooke Panepinto (Belle Vernon, Pa. / Belle Vernon) was placed on second to start the inning. Capp would move Panepinto to third with another sacrifice bunt. To finally end the game, Perich placed a single up the middle to score Panepinto and put the Colonials over Binghamton, 4-3.
On Wednesday, the Colonials will take on St. Bonaventure at the North Athletic Complex field on the campus of Robert Morris University. The first game of the double headed is set for a 3:00 p.m. tilt.
