Moon Township, Pa. - Freshman Nicole Sleith (Smithton, Pa. / Yough) tallied two complete-game victories in leading the Robert Morris University softball team to a doubleheader sweep of in-state rival Saint Francis (Pa.) Saturday as the Colonials claimed a pair of two-run wins, 5-3 and 3-1, at a sunny and cool North Athletic Complex.
With the victories, RMU moved into sole possession of first place in the Northeast Conference (NEC) as the Colonials' 7-3 league record has them in front of the pack at the halfway mark for a majority of the squads in the conference.
Senior Jaci Timko (Houston, Pa. / Chartiers Houston) tied an all-time school record Saturday as her two runs scored moved her career total to 118, which equaled a mark that has stood at Robert Morris since 1994. Timko finished the day by going a combined 3-for-6 at the plate with a double and a RBI. She notched the ninth multi-hit game of her season and the 54th of her career in the nightcap to move her career hit total to 183, remaining in third place all-time in that category.
Sleith worked all 14 innings and held the Red Flash to just nine hits and four runs as Saint Francis hit only .184 off of her for the day. She combined to strike out 11, which moved her into 10th place in single-season RMU history in that department as she moved past the mark that her current pitching coach, Lauren Dickinson, had set in her rookie season of 1999. Sleith, who also moved into 10th place in single-season wins at RMU, now has 62 strikeouts and eight walks in her last eight starts.
Sophomore Cassie Show (Connellsville, Pa. / Connellsville) led the offensive effort for RMU as she went a combined 4-for-6 with three doubles, a walk, two RBI and two runs scored. She had a monster opening game as she was 3-for-3 with two doubles and a walk to notch her second three-hit game of the season and the 10th multi-hit game of her career. It was also her sixth career multi-RBI outing and marked the second time this season in which she has knocked more than one extra-base hit in a single game.
Show also helped RMU extend a notable offensive streak. The Colonials have now drilled at least one extra-base hit in 18 consecutive games, their longest such stretch in over eight years.
Senior Sarah Capp (McKees Rocks, Pa. / Montour) joined Show in having a four-hit day as she went 4-for-7 with three RBI on the afternoon. Capp went 3-for-4 in the opener to collect her ninth multi-hit game of the season and the 25th of her career. Capp, who also now has a three-hit game against four of RMU's past five opponents, registered her ninth multi-RBI game of the season and the 20th such effort in her career in the first game of the day.
Each side had one runner reach second base in the first two innings, but neither squad could cash in on the chance.
Saint Francis took the lead in the third on a two-run homer with two outs. RMU would respond in the home half with a single tally although it could have added more.
Sophomore Chelsea Siar (Glenshaw, Pa. / Shaler Area) led off the frame with a walk, and after two outs were recorded, Show worked an eight-pitch walk to put two runners on base. Redshirt senior Jessica Calderone (Wilmington, Del. / St. Mark's) followed with an infield single on a hard grounder, which loaded the bases for Capp, who singled deep into the hole at shortstop to drive in a run.
After Sleith sent down the side in order in the fourth on two strikeouts and a flyout, the Colonials took the lead in the bottom half. RMU got its first two runners aboard via an error and a fielder's choice, but the next two batters were retired. With two down, junior Maritza Jimenez (Vineland, N.J. / Vineland) nailed a single to center that scored Timko to tie the game. Show followed with another sharp single to center that plated freshman Tess Apke (Mt. Lebanon, Pa. / Mt. Lebanon) to give the hosts the lead.
Saint Francis would come right back and tie the game in the fifth on an infield single, a sacrifice and a two-out single to left center which scored the runner on a bang-bang play at home. The Red Flash then got the go-ahead run to third base, but Sleith got a flyout to right to preserve the tie.
RMU loaded the bases with one out in the home half on singles by Capp, Timko and Apke but was unable to pull ahead.
Saint Francis got runners on first and second with two down in the sixth, but Sleith got a popup on the infield to end the chance.
Robert Morris pulled ahead for good in the sixth as Jimenez got it started with a leadoff single that glanced off the third base bag and into left field. Show followed with a double down the left field line that scored pinch-runner Britta Grafton (Jamestown, Pa. / Jamestown) to put RMU on top, 4-3. After a sacrifice by Calderone moved the runner to third, Capp ripped a single into center to add an insurance run.
After allowing a leadoff walk in the seventh, Sleith retired the next three on a popup, a strikeout and a flyout to close out the Game One win.
Sleith picked up where she left off in Game Two to keep the momentum going for the Colonials. After she retired the Red Flash side on just four pitches to start the nightcap, RMU immediately jumped on top.
Show ripped the first pitch of the bottom half over the fence in right center on one hop for a ground-rule double. Calderone followed with a successful sacrifice before Capp roped a single into right center to make it 1-0. After an error put two on base, Timko crushed an opposite-field double to left center that scored pinch-runner Jessica Tanigawa (Marysville, Wash. / Marysville-Pitchuck) to double the lead. The Colonials then had runners on second and third with one out but could not add on any more.
The Red Flash would cut the lead in half in the second on a one-out single to center, a groundout that moved the runner along and a bloop single down the right field line.
RMU put its first two on in the home half but could not bring them all the way around.
The Colonials worked around a leadoff single in the third as Sleith got two strikeouts and freshman catcher Samantha Santillo (Ellwood City, Pa. / Lincoln) gunned down the runner trying to steal second.
Timko singled to center with one out in the third and came all the way around to score from first on a single down the right field line by Siar that the Red Flash outfielder misplayed.
Sleith retired the side in order in both the fourth and fifth innings on just 14 pitches combined. The Red Flash got a leadoff single in the sixth and moved the runner to second on a sacrifice, but Sleith got a popup and a strikeout to end the threat.
Robert Morris closed it out in the seventh when Sleith sent down each of the three Saint Francis batters as she got a groundout, a popup and a flyout to end it.
Jimenez finished the day 2-for-2 with two walks and a sacrifice and collected her 10th career multi-hit game in the opener.
Calderone, who reached 180 career hits Saturday, moved into a tie for fourth in all-time games played at RMU, matching the 180 that Dickinson competed in.
No Colonial hitter struck out in the second game, marking the second time this season in which the RMU offense has not struck out once.
After sweeping Saturday's games, Robert Morris will head back outside the league early next week as it hosts Canisius Monday, April 9. The first pitch of the opener is set for 2:00 p.m.
