RMU fell 7-6 in the tournament opener to the Red Foxes before dropping a 2-1, extra-inning game to the Salukis.

Senior Jaci Timko (Houston, Pa. / Chartiers Houston) had a noteworthy offensive day for the Colonials as she continued to climb the all-time lists in multiple categories. Timko went a combined 3-for-8 with a homer and a walk and also scored three runs. Timko moved into a tie for seventh in career hits (165) and catapulted into sole possession of third place in career runs scored at RMU (103). Timko's blast was also her first of the season and the 21st of her career, which moved her into a tie for second in all-time dingers at Robert Morris.

Redshirt senior Jessica Calderone (Wilmington, Del. / St. Mark's) had a strong game in her lone start of the day as she went 3-for-3 with a walk, a run scored and a RBI against Marist. Calderone collected the 44th multi-hit game of her career, and the 13th with at least three hits, as she became the 11th Colonial ever to surpass 160 career hits.

Freshman Nicole Sleith (Smithton, Pa. / Yough) was the unlucky loser against Southern Illinois as she went the distance and allowed just one earned run. Sleith also come on in relief in the opener and combined to throw 8.1 innings on the day, while giving up just the lone earned run, as she struck out 10 batters in all.

Robert Morris outhit Marist, 10-6, in the opener, but the Red Foxes concentrated their half-dozen hits in just two innings and combined to put up a pair of crooked numbers that made the difference.

After RMU sent down Marist in order in the first, the Colonials jumped on top early with a trio of runs in the home half. Timko earned a leadoff walk, Calderone beat out a one-out infield single to put two aboard, and then the Colonials loaded the bases on a Red Fox error. With two outs and the sacks full, junior Maritza Jimenez (Vineland, N.J. / Vineland) drilled a liner into center for a two-run single. Robert Morris added another tally when freshman Samantha Santillo (Ellwood City, Pa. / Lincoln) lined an opposite-field single into right to score pinch-runner Allie Patton (Poland, Ohio / Poland) from second.

Marist came right back to tie the game in the top of the second when it knocked three hits and took advantage of some shaky Colonial defense to score three unearned runs.

Timko again reached to open the second as she singled through the left side. Senior Katrina Gallagher (Canonsburg, Pa. / Canon McMillan) followed with her second successful sacrifice of the day to move Timko to second. Calderone then ripped a single up the middle into center to score Timko as RMU moved ahead, 4-3. Sophomore Chelsea Siar (Glenshaw, Pa. / Shaler Area) and Jimenez each followed with walks to load the bases, but a flyout ended the inning.

The Red Foxes pulled ahead in the third as they used three hits, received three walks and worked a double steal to put up four runs in the frame, taking a 7-4 advantage.

RMU went down in order in the third, and Santillo gunned down the lone Marist runner that reached in the fourth trying to steal second to end that inning.

Gallagher and Calderone opened the fourth with singles through the left side, and RMU had runners on the corners with one out after a fielder's choice. Siar then ripped a hard ground ball right down the third base line to score Gallagher. Robert Morris was unable to continue the rally, though, as a strikeout and a groundout ended the chance.

Marist went down in order in the fifth, and RMU continued to try and battle back in the home half. Junior Britta Grafton (Jamestown, Pa. / Jamestown) knocked a pinch-hit single into left with one out and Timko followed with a single into right. After a sacrifice by Gallagher, Calderone was walked to load the bases. RMU pulled within one when an error on the infield advanced each runner, but RMU left the bases loaded as a strikeout ended the threat.

While RMU kept the Red Foxes off the board in the sixth and seventh, the Colonials could not generate anything offensively in either of the last two frames as they went down in order both times to close out the contest.

The second game of the day had a different feel to it as each side struggled to score runs despite some decent chances for both squads.

Gallagher and senior Sarah Capp (McKees Rocks, Pa. / Montour) each singled with one out in the top of the first. Robert Morris loaded the bases when Grafton was hit by a pitch with two away, but the Salukis were able to escape damage with a foulout.

Southern Illinois also loaded the bases with two outs in the home half on a pair of hits and a walk, but Sleith got a groundout to third to end the inning.

Patton's two-strike, two-out opposite-field single accounted for the lone baserunner of the second as the Salukis went down in order.

Jimenez singled to right center with two down in the third, but RMU could not advance her. Southern Illinois had a walk and a single in the bottom half, but sophomore Chelsea Evans (Beaver Falls, Pa. / Riverside) nabbed a runner trying to steal to help RMU get out of the inning.

Evans reached on an error in the fourth and moved to second with two outs on Sleith's first sacrifice of the season, but she was stranded there.

Southern Illinois again loaded the bases in the fourth on a pair of hits and a walk, but a four-pitch strikeout kept the game scoreless.

Timko drilled the first pitch of the fifth over the fence in left center for an opposite-field homer to put RMU on top. The Colonials' lead was short-lived, though, as Southern Illinois tied it in the bottom half on a single, a sacrifice, a wild pitch and a RBI single.

Each of the next three half-innings were of the 1-2-3 variety before the Salukis had a great chance to win it in the seventh. A leadoff walk, a passed ball and a sacrifice gave Southern Illinois the winning run on third with just one out. However, Sleith worked out of the jam by getting a shallow flyout to left and an infield popup, sending the game to extras.

With the international tiebreaker rules in effect, Gallagher sacrificed Timko to third to open the eighth. Capp was then hit by a pitch to put two runners on base. After a strikeout, Grafton worked a seven-pitch walk to load the bases, but RMU couldn't break through.

After a bunt single and an intentional walk, Southern Illinois had the bases loaded and nobody out in the eighth. Sleith managed to get an out via strikeout, but the next batter hit a flyball to left that was deep enough to end the game without a play.

Robert Morris had its share of chances offensively Saturday, but it combined to leave 20 runners on base over its two contests.

Gallagher finished the day 2-for-5 with a walk to move her team-leading on-base percentage to .484. She also put down four successful sacrifices on the day, which was as many as she had in any previous season of her career.

Timko's multi-hit game in the opener was her third of the season and the 48th of her career.

Jimenez tallied the 10th multi-RBI game of her career in the opener.

RMU will have its hands full Sunday as it looks to get back on track. The Colonials will meet a Radford squad that downed nationally-ranked Florida State last weekend at 11:00 a.m. (5:00 p.m. ET) before facing 18-0 Hawaii at 1:00 p.m. (7:00 p.m. ET).