Moon Township, Pa. - In unseasonably warm weather, the Robert Morris University softball team had another successful outing as the Colonials swept NEC rival, St. Francis (Pa.), in a twin bill at the North Athletic Complex. In the first game, RMU earned a 3-0 triumph, and emerged victorious with a 7-1 win in the second contest.
Once again, strong pitching fueled the Colonials as Alexa Bryson (Greensburg, Pa. / Greater Latrobe) and Annie Dubovec (Chagrin Falls, Ohio / Kenston) teamed up for back-to-back wins. In the opening game, Bryson earned her first shutout of the 2010 campaign as she struck out 13 batters. Later in the afternoon, Dubovec allowed just one unearned run as she retired six in her third win of the year.
Sophomore Jaci Timko (Houston, Pa. / Chartiers-Houston) extended her hitting streak to eight games as she lead off the bottom of the first with a single. Jessica Calderone (Wilmington, Del / St. Marks) then doubled to drive in Timko. Dubovec would also double one batter later to bring in Calderone for the 2-0 lead.
In the third frame, Timko stayed red hot as she blasted a shot over the center field fence to put RMU up, 3-0.
Bryson would then hold strong in the circle allowing just one hit in the last three innings to propel Robert Morris to its first win of the day.
In game two, the Colonials got rolling in the second inning as they tallied three runs off a trio of hits from Timko, Sarah Capp (McKees Rocks, Pa. / Montour) and Britta Grafton (Jamestown, Pa. / Jamestown).
It was Timko who picked up another RBI in the fourth when she singled through the right side to give RMU the, 4-0, edge.
The Red Flash earned their lone run of the day in the top of the sixth to make the score 4-1, still in favor of the Colonials. However, Robert Morris would immediately answer with three more tallies in the bottom of the sixth to ultimately prevail, 7-.1
Overall, Timko had an explosive day as she went five-for-five with two-runs, five RBIs, a home run and three walks.
The Colonials (12-10 ; 4-1 NEC), undefeated in their last four, will finally return to the road on Monday when they travel to Canisius for a double header at 3:00 p.m.
