West Haven, Conn. ? Friday afternoon, the Robert Morris University softball team continued its league schedule with a double header against the Central Connecticut State Blue Devils. The Colonials set the tone early as they cruised past the Blue Devils 7-2 and 1-0 to earn their first NEC sweep of the 2009 season.
On the campus of the University of New Haven, RMU scored twice in the top half of the first inning to go ahead from the start.
Freshman Jaci Timko (Houston, Pa. / Chartiers-Houston) led off the game with a single to reach first. Fellow first year player, Allie Patton (Poland, Ohio / Poland) then reached second on an error while advancing Timko to third. With the help of two ground outs, Timko and Patton both came home for unearned runs.
After the Blue Devils scored once in the bottom of the second, the Colonials responded as Timko again led off with an infield single. She then moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a single by senior Brooke Panepinto (Belle Vernon, Pa. / Belle Vernon). After stealing second, Panepinto scored on a single to left field by sophomore Annie Dubovec (Chagrin Falls, Ohio / Kenston).
Central Connecticut fought back again, cutting the deficit in half with a run in the bottom half of the third.
However, Robert Morris stretched its lead to 7-2 with a three-run fifth inning. Senior Kristin McDaniel (Yardley, Pa. / Pennsbury) highlighted the fifth with her two-run double that scored Dubovec and Panepinto.
In the second bout, the Colonials and Blue Devils held each other scoreless until the top of the seventh. In the final inning, Robert Morris recorded its lone game winning run thanks to McDaniel's second double of the afternoon to drive in Panepinto for the score.
Freshman Alexa Bryson (Greensburg, Pa. / Greater Latrobe) pitched all 14 innings for the Colonials on Friday afternoon. In her two wins, she compiled 17 strikeouts and allowed just one earned run. Bryson now boasts 13 wins, the most by any NEC pitcher so far this season.
Tomorrow, Robert Morris will travel to Quinnipiac University for another NEC double header. The Bobcats and the Colonials are scheduled for a 2:00 p.m. start.
