New Britain, Conn. – Freshman Lauren Hackett (Glenshaw, Pa. / Shaler Area) came through with a clutch two-out, two-run double in the eighth inning to help the Robert Morris University softball team to a 3-2, extra-inning win at Central Connecticut State in Northeast Conference (NEC) action at a sunny CCSU Softball Field.
CCSU won the opener, 3-1, but, by virtue of its split, RMU remains ahead of the Blue Devils in the league standings by percentage points.
Freshman Ashley Gerhart (Imperial, Pa. / West Allegheny) went 3-for-7 with a home run on the day and came around to score what proved to be the winning run in the nightcap. Gerhart posted her team-leading 11th multi-hit game of the season in the second contest of the day.
Freshman Haileigh Stocks (Jamison, Pa. / Central Bucks South) matched Gerhart's 3-for-7 line with a trio of singles. She tallied her fourth multi-hit game of the season in the nightcap.
Hackett's game-winning double was the eighth of her rookie campaign, a mark which leads the team, and she also contributed her fourth multi-RBI effort of the season.
Sophomore Nicole Sleith (Smithton, Pa. / Yough) earned the win in the circle in Game Two by allowing a lone run in four innings of work. She struck out 13 batters without yielding a walk while allowing three earned runs in 10 combined innings in the circle Saturday.
Junior Geena Badolato (Mt. Lebanon, Pa. / Mt. Lebanon) was the starting pitcher in the nightcap and also allowed just one run in four innings of work to help the Colonial cause.
Central Connecticut would strike right away in the first as it used an infield single and a three-base error to take a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Sleith would strand a runner in scoring position, though, by retiring the final two batters of the inning.
After each side went down in order in the second, RMU knocked on the door in the third but couldn't break through. A pair of errors by the Blue Devils gave RMU two baserunners, and Gerhart followed with a single into left, but CCSU would be up to the task and threw a Colonial out at the plate. With runners on second and third and two down, a foulout to the shortstop ended the inning.
CCSU tacked on in the third as it used a bunt single, a double and a second single to take a 3-0 lead. RMU left a runner in scoring position by getting consecutive groundouts to end the inning.
The pace of the game would then quicken as only one player reached base for either team in the next three innings.
Stocks singled to open the seventh and, one out later, an error brought the tying run to the plate. Sophomore Alexis Schwartzmiller (Carnegie, Pa. / Chartiers Valley) then drove a pinch-hit single into left to plate a Colonial run and put the tying run on base. However, the next batter would line into a game-ending double play.
After dropping the opener, Robert Morris faced the prospect of losing hold of first place with another setback in the nightcap, but the Colonials rallied to claim a tense victory.
Gerhart made sure RMU wouldn't fall behind early in Game Two as she launched a homer to right field to lead off the game. In doing so, she became the first Colonial to start a game with a long ball since current assistant coach Jaci Timko pulled the trick in May 2010.
CCSU used a leadoff walk and a sacrifice to get a runner into scoring position right away in the first, but Badolato got consecutive groundouts to end the inning and keep the lead.
Each of the next nine hitters would go in order before the Blue Devils tied the game in the third.
A one-out single was followed by a bunt single with two outs to put a pair of runners on board. CCSU followed with another single to tie the game, but Badolato responded by getting a key looking strikeout to strand a pair of runners.
Stocks singled with one out in the fourth and moved to second on a groundout but would be left there.
Back-to-back singles with one out by CCSU were followed by a groundout to give the hosts two runners in scoring position with two outs. Badolato remained composed and got a groundout to second to end the inning.
After RMU went down in order, CCSU used a walk and a bunt single to get its first two runners on base in the fifth. A fielder's choice then moved the lead runner to third with one out, but Sleith got a key strikeout for the second out before getting a flyball to left to end the inning.
After each team went down in order in the sixth, Stocks led off the seventh with a single. Junior Chelsea Siar (Glenshaw, Pa. / Shaler Area) followed with a successful sacrifice, but consecutive groundouts kept RMU from taking the lead.
Back-to-back singles with two outs in the bottom of the seventh gave CCSU the winning run at third base, but Sleith got a groundout to send the game into extra frames.
Freshman Kristen Gabelt (Ligonier, Pa. / Ligonier Valley) started the eighth by knocking a single into left center. Junior Chelsea Evans (Beaver Falls, Pa. / Riverside) followed with a sacrifice to move Gabelt to second, but a strikeout followed as the inning's second out. Gerhart then legged out an infield single, which also moved her classmate to third. Hackett then came through with the game's biggest hit as her two-run double to the fence put RMU back on top.
CCSU led off the bottom of the inning with a home run to tighten the proceedings, but Sleith responded by getting a strikeout, a groundout and then a swinging strikeout to seal the victory.
Robert Morris clinched a winning NEC record for the 17th time in the last 20 years with Saturday's victory. RMU's win also guaranteed itself its sixth straight season without a losing overall record, which is the longest active streak in the league.
The Colonials will be right back on the field in fewer than 24 hours. Robert Morris will be in action Sunday, April 28, when it remains on the road at Bryant at Noon in a NEC doubleheader.
