Moon Township, Pa. - Senior Jaci Timko (Houston, Pa. / Chartiers Houston) of the Robert Morris University softball team broke an 18-year-old career record Monday afternoon during a 6-4 victory over Canisius in non-conference action at the North Athletic Complex.
The Golden Griffins also tallied a quartet of runs in the nightcap but that would be enough for the visitors to take a 4-1 decision.
Timko had entered the day tied for the top spot in career runs scored and wasted little time in moving past the mark to stand alone. She came around to cross the plate in the first inning of the opening game to tally her 119th run scored and surpass Heather Ferrari's total that had stood for nearly two decades. Timko has scored at least 26 runs in each of her first three seasons and is on pace to top 30 in her senior year for the third time in her career.
In addition to breaking the record, Timko had a fine offensive performance as she went 3-for-3 with a RBI in the opener to tally her 55th career multi-hit game and her 17th career three-hit game. Timko also moved into a tie for second all-time in career hits as her total of 186 matches that put forth by her current assistant coach, Lauren Dickinson.
Freshman Tess Apke (Mt. Lebanon, Pa. / Mt. Lebanon) was the other Colonial to contribute multiple hits in the opener as she was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI. Apke collected her fourth multi-hit game and fourth multi-RBI effort of the season, all of which have come at home, as she knocked her ninth extra-base hit in 64 at bats.
Apke's double also helped RMU extend a significant offensive streak. The Colonials have now drilled at least one extra-base hit in 20 consecutive games, their longest such stretch in over eight years.
Sophomore Chelsea Evans (Beaver Falls, Pa. / Riverside) followed Timko's lead in the nightcap as she went 3-for-3 in Game Two to register the first three-hit game of her career.
Robert Morris secured all the runs it would need in the opening inning of Game One as it scored five times, including registering five consecutive hits at one point during the rally.
Redshirt senior Jessica Calderone (Wilmington, Del. / St. Mark's), senior Sarah Capp (McKees Rocks, Pa. / Montour), freshman Samantha Santillo (Ellwood City, Pa. / Lincoln), Timko and Apke all singled in a row with one out to bring home two runs. Sophomore Chelsea Siar (Glenshaw, Pa. / Shaler Area) followed with a walk to bring home a third run before a Canisius error allowed two more runs to come home.
Canisius had scored an unearned run in the second and had the bases loaded with one out, but RMU came through as Siar started an inning-ending 5-3 double play to minimize the damage.
The Colonials would match that single tally in the bottom half. Junior Britta Grafton (Jamestown, Pa. / Jamestown) singled with one out and Timko bounced a ball into right in advance of a double by Apke down the left field line.
The Golden Griffins would put two on in the third but would strand both runners on a popup, and then the next three half-innings would each go down in order.
Canisius cut into the lead in the fifth when a walk, a single, a sacrifice and a two-run single to center made it 6-3.
Timko singled to open the bottom of the fifth, but the Colonials could not move her into scoring position. Robert Morris then worked around a leadoff walk that Canisius took in the sixth.
The Golden Griffins opened the seventh with back-to-back hits to cut the lead to two, but RMU got each of the next three batters to make an out on the ground to hold on for the victory.
Sophomore Geena Badolato (Mt. Lebanon, Pa. / Mt. Lebanon) registered the win for RMU as she allowed just three earned runs while going all seven innings and compiling five strikeouts.
Canisius jumped on top early in Game Two as it used a two-run homer in the top of the first to take the lead.
Senior Allie Patton (Poland, Ohio / Poland) singled with one out in the bottom half but was soon erased on a double play.
The Golden Griffins left a runner on second in the second before RMU had a chance to break through in the third. Evans singled to center with one out and moved up to second on a sacrifice and to third on a single by sophomore Cassie Show (Connellsville, Pa. / Connellsville). After Show stole second, a groundout ended the inning.
Canisius added a solo homer to begin the fourth, making it 3-0 in favor of the visitors. Apke worked a nine-pitch walk in the bottom half, but the Colonials could do nothing with it.
The Golden Griffins completed their scoring when a two-out double scored a player that had walked with one away.
Siar blasted the first pitch of the bottom half over the fence down the right field line to put RMU on the board. Evans then singled sharply to left and advanced to second on a sacrifice with one out, but a pair of groundouts ended the chance.
Robert Morris got out of a jam in the sixth when it notched back-to-back strikeouts with runners on second and third and one out to extinguish the Canisius uprising.
The Colonials tried to rally in the seventh as Grafton banged a double into the right center gap to start the frame. Evans would then single to center with one out, bringing the tying run to the plate, but a strikeout and a foulout ended the host's chances.
Siar's homer was the fourth of her season and the 10th of her career.
After splitting a pair of non-league games, Robert Morris will resume Northeast Conference (NEC) action this weekend with a pair of doubleheaders, Saturday, April 14, and Sunday, April 15. The Colonials will start the weekend by hosting Bryant Saturday at 1:00 p.m.
