Emmitsburg, Md. ? In a makeup game on Thursday afternoon, the Robert Morris University softball team met NEC foe Mount St. Mary's after the teams were rained out in late March. Thanks to a balanced effort, the Colonials pushed past Mount, 7-3, to improve to 22-16 overall and 9-3 in the NEC.
Freshman pitcher Alexa Bryson (Greensburg, Pa. / Greater Latrobe) made the start for RMU as she picked up her 17th win of the 2009 campaign. In her sixth straight victory, Bryson allowed no earned runs, struck out nine and issued only one walk.
The Colonials got to work early with two runs in the top of the first inning as senior Brooke Panepinto (Belle Vernon, Pa. / Belle Vernon) tripled to right center to open scoring for RMU.
Robert Morris then added one run in the second and another in the fourth. In the second, sophomore Kayla Crooks (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Brashear) belted her first career home run to take a 3-0 lead. Freshman Allie Patton (Poland, Ohio / Poland) then hit the Colonial's second triple of the day in the fourth for her second extra-base RBI hit of the season.
In the bottom of the sixth, Mount recorded its first run of the afternoon to make the score 4-1 still in favor of RMU.
However, Robert Morris exploded back in the top of the seventh as the team put up its final three runs. The inning was highlighted by base hits from Patton, freshman Jaci Timko (Houston, Pa. / Chartiers-Houston) and senior Lauren Nisivoccia (Nutley, NJ / Mount St. Dominic).
This weekend, the Colonials will close out the regular season as they host two NEC doubleheaders against Long Island and Wagner. Robert Morris will face LIU on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. and Wagner on Sunday at noon.
