Kent, Ohio - Freshman Nicole Sleith (Smithton, Pa. / Yough) notched a team season-high 12 strikeouts while shutting down the opposing Kent State bats as the Robert Morris University softball team downed Kent State, 4-1, in the opener of a non-conference doubleheader Wednesday afternoon at the Diamond at Dix.
The Colonials attempted to rally in the nightcap as they cut a six-run deficit in half and brought the tying run to the plate, but the Golden Flashes claimed a 6-3 victory.
Sleith earned her 14th win of the season Wednesday as she scattered six hits and allowed just a lone run. She notched her third double-figure strikeout effort in her last five starts, and, in doing so, became just the eighth distinct Colonial hurler to register at least 12 strikeouts in a game. In her last six starts, Sleith has now racked up 51 strikeouts against just six walks.
Senior Sarah Capp (McKees Rocks, Pa. / Montour) was the offensive leader for Robert Morris Wednesday as she was a combined 4-for-7 with a pair of extra-base hits, three RBI and two runs scored. Capp went 3-for-4 in the opener and blasted her sixth home run in the team's past 16 games. Capp, who now has a three-hit game against three of RMU's last four opponents, registered her eighth multi-hit game of the season and the 24th of her career.
Capp also helped ensure that RMU extended an impressive offensive streak. The Colonials have now nailed at least one extra-base hit in 16 consecutive games, their longest such stretch in over eight years.
Senior Jaci Timko (Houston, Pa. / Chartiers Houston) aided the RMU cause in the opener as she picked up two hits and a pair of RBI. The eighth multi-hit game of the season and the 53rd of her career moved her career hit total to 180, which moved her into sole possession of third place all-time at RMU. Timko also continued to climb in the career RBI category as her 17th career multi-RBI outing moved her four-year total to 79.
Capp singled in the first with two outs and was left on base, but Sleith sent down the Golden Flashes in order, including notching two strikeouts.
RMU took the lead in the second, a rally that started when freshman Samantha Santillo (Ellwood City, Pa. / Lincoln) singled up the middle. After classmate Tess Apke (Mt. Lebanon, Pa. / Mt. Lebanon) walked, sophomore Chelsea Siar (Glenshaw, Pa. / Shaler Area) put down a successful sacrifice that moved both runners along. Sophomore Chelsea Evans (Beaver Falls, Pa. / Riverside) then knocked a RBI single that scored pinch-runner Jessica Tanigawa (Marysville, Wash. / Marysville-Pitchuck).
After Kent State had a runner reach second with no outs in the bottom half, Sleith notched back-to-back strikeouts and got a groundout to escape the threat.
Capp drilled a one-out homer to left center on a full count in the top of the third to make it 2-0 although Kent State would answer back with its lone run in the bottom half on a solo homer that just cleared the fence in left.
Siar ripped a one-out double to left center in the fourth but was not advanced. Sleith got a strikeout and a groundout in the bottom half to leave a runner in scoring position.
After a Golden Flash miscue started the fifth inning, Capp drilled a single to left to put two runners aboard. Timko followed with a RBI single up the middle to make it 3-1.
Kent State had a great opportunity to tie the game in the bottom half as it put runners on second and third with no outs, but Sleith got a pair of groundouts and a strikeout to preserve the two-run edge.
A two-out single by Evans was all for RMU in the sixth, and Sleith left two more runners on base in the bottom half.
Sophomore Cassie Show (Connellsville, Pa. / Connellsville) reached on an error with one out in the seventh and soon stole second base. Timko followed with a two-out single up the middle that brought home the fourth run for the Colonials.
Sleith worked around a one-out hit in the bottom half as she collected the final two outs via strikeout to close out the victory.
Evans tallied her first multi-hit game of the season in the opener.
Robert Morris was unable to generate any chances offensively in the first six innings of the nightcap before it finally broke through in the seventh.
Kent State scored twice in the second as it brought home runs on a fielder's choice and a caught stealing. The Golden Flashes added four more tallies in the sixth, three of which were unearned, after the Colonials were unable to handles some plays in the field.
RMU tried to rally in the seventh as Show led off with a sharp single into right center. After an error by Kent State, Capp roped a double into the right-center gap to plate both runners. Capp would score RMU's third run on a ground ball to the infield, and RMU would bring the tying run to the plate twice in the final inning, but the deficit proved too much to overcome.
Capp's eighth multi-RBI game of the season and the 19th of her career moved her four-year total in that category to 70 as she moved closer to the all-time top 10.
Sophomore Geena Badolato (Mt. Lebanon, Pa. / Mt. Lebanon) was charged with the defeat for the Colonials despite putting forth a strong performance in the circle. Badolato allowed six hits, all singles on the ground, in her complete-game effort and struck out five against just one walk.
After splitting the mid-week doubleheader, Robert Morris will return to Northeast Conference (NEC) play this weekend as it hosts in-state rival Saint Francis (Pa.) Saturday, April 7. The first pitch of the opener is set for 1:00 p.m.
