Staten Island, NY. - The Robert Morris University softball team clinched a berth in the 2010 Northeast Conference Tournament on Sunday afternoon as the squad earned two victories over Wagner University. In the opening contest, the Colonials downed the Seahawks, 5-1. In the second half of the twin bill, RMU outlasted Wagner, 8-7, in a ten-inning affair.
Sophomore shortstop, Jessica Calderone (Wilmington, Del / St. Marks) led the way offensively for the Colonials who now own a 25-17 overall record and a 13-6 record in conference play.
Picking up her 17th win of the year in game one, Alexa Bryson (Greensburg, Pa. / Greater Latrobe) retired four batters and allowed only one run in seven innings.
RMU jumped out to a three run lead in the top of the first, scoring two runs on a Seahawk error and the third on Alicia Straining's (Harrisburg, Pa. / Central Dauphin) RBI double down the left field line.
The Colonials went to score one run in the third off a RBI single from Megan Picinic (Cliffside, NJ / Immaculate Heart) and another tally in the fourth before Wagner notched its lone run in the seventh on a double.
In the night cap, the teams battled back-and-forth but it RMU who outlasted the Seahawks to pick up the, 8-7 decision.
The Colonials scattered three runs through the first three innings before the Seahawks tied the game at three in the bottom of the third. Jaci Timko (Houston, Pa. / Chartiers-Houston) kicked off the contest with a homer to right field.
In the second frame, Britta Grafton (Jamestown, Pa. / Jamestown) singled up the middle to send in the second Robert Morris run. Allie Patton (Poland, Ohio / Poland) then touched home in the third thanks to a Wagner error for the Colonials' third score.
In the fourth inning, RMU tallied another run on Kayla Crooks' (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Brashear) single to center field, bringing the game to 4-3. However, the lead was short lived as the Seahawks tied the contest for the second time after scoring on a RMU error.
The Colonials retook the lead in the top of the fifth, earning a marker on a single up the middle by Picinic.
RMU held its 5-4 lead until the bottom of the sixth when the Seahawks battled back to deadlock the game at five all.
Despite leaving runners on base in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings, the Colonials finally found the runs they were looking for as the exploded with three scores in the top of the tenth. With the help of Wagner's third error of the afternoon, RMU took a quick, 5-6, advantage. Straining then singled to left center to score another run. She eventually touched home with what would be the game winning run when Crooks doubled up the middle to close out the tenth.
The Seahawks, still with plenty of fight, picked up two runs in the bottom of the frame but it would not be enough as RMU escaped with the, 8-7, win.
Bryson started in the circle for the first three innings of the contest, but junior Annie Dubovec (Chagrin Falls, Ohio / Kenston) entered in the fourth and earned the win. Dubovec allowed three runs and five hits in her seven innings of relief.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Colonials will travel to Kent, Ohio for a single make-up game against the Golden Flash at 4:00 p.m. Robert Morris will continue its week of non-conference play on Wednesday with a twin bill at Pittsburgh.
