West Long Branch, N.J. – The Robert Morris University softball team used a combined four home runs and a pair of strong pitching performances to sweep Monmouth, 4-0 and 6-2, in Northeast Conference (NEC) action Saturday afternoon at a cool Monmouth Softball Complex.
It was the first time that RMU has swept the Hawks in seven years and just the second time since 1998 that RMU has swept Monmouth on the road.
A trio of Colonials combined for six extra-base hits on the day while junior Geena Badolato (Mt. Lebanon, Pa. / Mt. Lebanon) and sophomore Nicole Sleith (Smithton, Pa. / Yough) combined to allow eight hits and just one earned run in 14 innings in the circle.
With Sleith and Badolato's work Saturday, RMU has allowed three runs or fewer in 15 consecutive games, which is tied for the longest such stretch at RMU since a streak during the 1997 season.
Junior Chelsea Siar (Glenshaw, Pa. / Shaler Area) was 2-for-4 on the day with two home runs, two walks, three RBI and three runs scored. Siar hit long balls in each game Saturday, the 13th and 14th of her career, to homer in back-to-back games for the first time in her career. Siar tallied her third multi-RBI game of the season and the 11th of her career in the opener.
Sophomore Tess Apke (Mt. Lebanon, Pa. / Mt. Lebanon) went 3-for-8 on the day Saturday with a home run, a double, two RBI and two runs scored. The blast was Apke's team-leading fifth of the season and the 11th of her career. She notched her team-leading seventh multi-hit game in the nightcap, which was the 16th such effort of her career.
Freshman Haileigh Stocks (Jamison, Pa. / Central Bucks South) joined Apke in homering and doubling in the doubleheader and also reached base once via a walk. The roundtripper was the fourth of Stocks' rookie season and also served as her team-leading ninth extra-base hit of the year.
Sleith twirled a four-hit shutout in the opener, which was her fifth consecutive appearance, two of which have been complete-game starts, without allowing a run. It marked her third shutout of the season and the eighth of her career.
Badolato allowed a lone earned run in her complete-game win. She conceded just four hits on the day and struck out six batters to move to 3-0 in her last four starts.
With two down and the bases empty in the top of the first, Apke made sure RMU would have an early lead by pounding a 1-2 pitch over the fence just to the left of straightaway center to give the guests an edge.
After Sleith retired the side in order in the bottom half, freshman Lauren Hackett (Glenshaw, Pa. / Shaler Area) was hit by a pitch and sophomore Samantha Santillo (Ellwood City, Pa. / Lincoln) put down a sacrifice attempt on which the Hawks unsuccessfully attempted to force the lead runner. However, the next three Colonial batters would be unable to advance anyone further.
A one-out single by Monmouth in the second inning was soon erased when the Colonials alertly noticed the runner straying too far off the bag and threw to first, eventually tagging her out in a rundown. The Hawks followed with an infield single, but Sleith got a looking strikeout to end the frame.
Freshman Ashley Gerhart (Imperial, Pa. / West Allegheny) walked to open the third, reaching base via a hit or walk in her 16th straight game, but the next three Colonials went in order.
Sleith retired the Hawks in the third on a groundout and a pair of strikeouts, and RMU soon added some insurance.
After Santillo singled sharply to center with one out on the seventh pitch of her at bat, Siar followed by crushing a full count offering that had plenty of distance to clear the fence in center to give RMU a 3-0 lead. Robert Morris kept the pressure on as an error, a sacrifice by junior Cassie Show (Connellsville, Pa. / Connellsville), a walk by Gerhart and a single by sophomore Alexis Schwartzmiller (Carnegie, Pa. / Chartiers Valley) loaded the bases with two down. Apke followed by drilling a hard shot up right up the middle, but it ricocheted hard off of the pitcher's foot right toward the first baseman who was able to tag the bag and end the inning.
Sleith worked around a one-out single by getting consecutive groundouts to close the frame.
Stocks started the fifth inning by nailing a full count pitch high to left that cleared the fence to give the guests a 4-0 lead. Siar would walk two outs later but it would amount to nothing for RMU.
A walk, an error and a flyout put two Monmouth runners in scoring position with two outs. The next batter slapped a soft liner over Siar's head at third that seemed destined for left field. However, Show raced to her right and made a diving catch to end the inning and keep the shutout intact.
After both sides went in order in the sixth, Stocks walked in the seventh but Robert Morris would not add on any further.
A walk and a single put two runners on for the Hawks with one out, but Sleith got a flyout and a popup to seal the victory.
Robert Morris carried its solid play over from the opener into the nightcap before finally using a big inning to gain some breathing room on the Hawks.
RMU did little offensively in the first two innings. Monmouth had a runner reach on an infield hit in the first and a hit batter in the second, but they did not amount to much for the Hawks.
Siar led off the third by blasting a high drive deep to left that just stayed fair along the line to give RMU the lead. Monmouth answered with its own leadoff homer in the bottom half of the third to left center. The Hawks would have a runner reach on a two-out walk later in the same inning, but the runner would not move further.
Apke singled with one away in the fourth and Stocks followed by ringing a double off of the center field fence to put two runners in scoring position, but the Colonials were unable to cash in on the opportunity.
After Badolato retired the side in order in the home half on a groundout and two strikeouts, RMU surged ahead for good.
Siar worked a leadoff walk before freshman Kristen Gabelt (Ligonier, Pa. / Ligonier Valley) was hit by a pitch. Show followed by putting a bunt down. Monmouth tried to force the lead runner on a close play, but the throw wasn't handled properly and trickled into shallow left, allowing each runner to move up an extra base to give the Colonials a 2-1 edge. The Monmouth left fielder made an error on the next play, and Robert Morris would double its edge. Then with runners on second and third, Schwartzmiller put down a gorgeous bunt on a suicide squeeze play to easily score Show. Apke followed by driving a double to deep center to score Gerhart. One out later, Hackett knocked a sharp single into left, scoring Apke from second to push RMU's lead to 6-1.
Monmouth would only manage an infield single with two outs in the home half.
Robert Morris would not score again in the contest. Monmouth tallied an unearned run due to a pair of defensive lapses by the Colonials in the sixth.
Trailing by four heading into the seventh, a one-out walk and a pinch-hit single moved the tying run to the on-deck circle for Monmouth. However, Badolato gathered herself and got a groundout to Siar and a lineout to Schwartzmiller to finish off the sweep.
The three home runs by the Colonials in the opener represent a season best and the most by the Colonials in their past 52 games.
Monmouth had entered the day tied for the league lead in NEC wins with six.
After sweeping its opening half of the weekend Saturday, the Colonials will remain on the road for another NEC doubleheader. Robert Morris will play at Fairleigh Dickinson Sunday, April 7, at Noon.
