Moon Township, Pa. - Junior outfielder Allie Patton (Poland, Ohio / Poland) and freshman first baseman Chelsea Siar (Glenshaw, Pa. / Shaler Area) both had strong offensive days, collecting five and four hits, respectively, to help the Robert Morris University softball team to a 6-1 victory over Kent State, ending the Golden Flashes' seven-game winning streak, in the nightcap of a non-conference doubleheader on a cool and cloudy Wednesday afternoon at the North Athletic Complex.
The Golden Flashes took the opener, 4-0, despite each team having eight hits apiece.
Patton continued her torrid performance at the plate by extending her hitting streak to a career-best and team season-high 14 games with her career and team-high 10th and 11th multi-hit games of the season. She is now hitting at a blistering .489 (23-for-47) clip during the streak and has raised her season average to .407. It marks the best hitting streak by a Colonial since Jill Spargo hit in each of the final 19 games of the 2006 season.
Siar collected her fifth and sixth multi-hit games of the season and crushed her team-leading third home run, two of which have come against the past two RMU opponents, to straightaway centerfield. Sophomore Britta Grafton (Jamestown, Pa. / Jamestown) also nailed her third-career homer in the second game.
Freshman Geena Badolato (Mt. Lebanon, Pa. / Mt. Lebanon) recorded her team-leading seventh win of the season by going the distance in the finale while scattering six hits and allowing a lone run. The rookie also struck out eight batters without issuing a walk or hitting a batter.
Robert Morris did not lack for opportunities in Game One as the Colonials has baserunners in every inning but were unable to cash in.
After two and one-half scoreless frames to open the contest, Patton reached on an infield singled with one out in the third and advanced into scoring position when junior Katrina Gallagher (Canonsburg, Pa. / Canon McMillan) put down a sacrifice, but she was left stranded there.
Kent State broke through in the fourth with a two-out double to right that scored two Golden Flash runners who had reached via base hits. After another runner reached and Kent State moved them to second and third, the Colonials got a flyout to left to limit the damage.
RMU had a great chance to get the tallies right back in the home half when it loaded the bases with no outs. Senior Annie Dubovec (Chagrin Falls, Ohio / Kenston) led off with a walk on a full count, sophomore Maritza Jimenez (Vineland, N.J. / Vineland) singled through the left side and Siar reached on a well-hit infield single that caromed off the third-base bag. The Golden Flashes made the ensuing defensive plays, though, as three force outs, the first two at the plate, ended the Colonials' rally.
A leadoff walk followed by three consecutive hits helped Kent State double its advantage in the fifth. RMU was able to strand runners at second and third again, keeping the Golden Flash runners on base even though they had reached with no outs.
Patton singled to the shortstop to leadoff the fifth, and the following RMU hitters all made solid contact, but the Colonials could not find any holes as two lineouts and well-driven flyball ended the inning. Robert Morris put its first two on in the sixth when Jimenez walked and Siar ripped a single through the left side, but neither runner would score.
Kent State ended Game One with two groundouts and a flyout in the seventh after Patton once again tried to ignite a rally with a leadoff single.
Jimenez went 2-for-2 with a walk in reaching base in all three of her plate appearances.
Robert Morris bounced back quite well offensively in Game Two, but the contest actually started out well for the Colonials due to a few nice defensive plays. The Golden Flashes put each of their first two runners on and had them at the corners with zero outs. Freshman Chelsea Evans (Beaver Falls, Pa. / Riverside) made a strong throw from behind the plate to catch a Kent State runner trying to steal second for the initial out. After a groundout to third, Patton made a sliding grab on a liner into shallow center after sprinting in after it to end the inning and keep Kent State off the board.
Patton promptly led off the home half with an infield hit and would move up after another sacrifice by Gallagher. Redshirt junior Jessica Calderone (Wilmington, Del / St. Mark's) then drilled a triple, her first of the season, that reached the fence in right, easily scoring Patton for the lead.
After Badolato shut down Kent State in order in the second, Evans walked with one out before Grafton drilled an opposite-field home run to right to put the Colonials on top, 3-0.
The Golden Flashes put together consecutive two-out doubles in the third to get on the board, but RMU would answer in the home half. Dubovec drilled a lined shot off the third baseman's glove with one out, and Siar followed by legging out an infield hit. After a fielder's choice advanced Dubovec to third, freshman shortstop Cassie Show (Connellsville, Pa. / Connellsville) knocked in the run with a hit to her Kent State counterpart.
Badolato would strand runners at second and third in the top of the fourth, and RMU still led by three heading into the bottom of the fifth.
Siar crushed a one-out homer to center before the Colonials would add another. Show hit a ball down the left field line and hustled out of the box without ever hesitating for a well-deserved double. Grafton followed with her second extra-base hit of the day by knocking one up the gap into right center to plate Show.
The Colonial runs gave Badolato plenty of room to work with as she went through the final two frames without allowing a hit or a walk in shutting the door on Kent State.
Grafton was 2-for-3 with three RBI and a run, Show went 2-for-3 with a RBI and a run and senior Kayla Crooks (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Brashear) went 2-for-2 with a walk as RMU had five players record multi-hit games in the finale. Grafton now leads the team with six multi-RBI games and has nine multi-hit games on the season.
Patton registered her first three-hit attack of the season in Game One and the sixth of her career.
The Colonials will look to continue their six-game winning streak within league play this weekend as they head out of town for a pair of crucial conference doubleheaders. RMU will meet Bryant Saturday, April 9, and Central Connecticut State Sunday, April 10. The Bulldogs and Blue Devils are a combined 10-0 in Northeast Conference (NEC) play and are riding 10-game and eight-game winning streaks, respectively.
