Moon Township, Pa. – The Robert Morris University softball team fell behind early and was unable to rally back as the Colonials dropped their Northeast Conference (NEC) Tournament opener to LIU Brooklyn, 7-3, Thursday afternoon at a mild North Athletic Complex.

With the setback, RMU will next take on Monmouth Friday at 1:00 p.m. in the double elimination format.

Sophomore Tess Apke (Mt. Lebanon, Pa. / Mt. Lebanon) had one of the bright spots on the day for RMU as she blasted a two-run home run to center field. It was her sixth long ball of the season, matching the total from her rookie year, and giving her 12 for her career. It also marked the first homer by a Colonial in a postseason game since Kayla Crooks drilled one in 2010.

Junior Chelsea Siar (Glenshaw, Pa. / Shaler Area) was one of only two players in the game to have multiple hits as she went 2-for-3 with a double and a RBI. The pair of hits allowed Siar to reach the 100-hit plateau for her career.

LIU struck right away in the top of the first inning as it scored on a RBI groundout after knocking a pair of hits earlier in the inning.

Although RMU hit a couple of balls on a line in the home half, it had nothing to show for it.

The Blackbirds would add an unearned run in the second as a pair of Colonial miscues helped LIU score without the benefit of a hit.

Siar would line a single into left center with one away in the home half but would advance no further.

Robert Morris held the Blackbirds without a hit in the third, and freshman Kristen Gabelt (Ligonier, Pa. / Ligonier Valley) knocked a single into left with one out in the home half, but RMU could not bring her around.

LIU broke the game open in the fourth by using three hits, the final one of which was a two-run homer that made it 5-0. The Blackbirds continued to add on in the fifth as they used another two-run long ball to pad their advantage.

RMU would get on the board in the bottom half when Apke nailed a two-run homer just left of straightaway center one out after junior Chelsea Evans (Beaver Falls, Pa. / Riverside) walked.

After RMU kept LIU scoreless in the sixth, freshman Lauren Hackett (Glenshaw, Pa. / Shaler Area) singled to right center to start the frame. Freshman Haileigh Stocks (Jamison, Pa. / Central Bucks South) followed with a walk to put two aboard with no outs. After a fielder's choice, Siar ripped a double down the left field line to score Hackett and put two runners in scoring position. LIU was able to escape without any more damage by getting a fielder's choice and a groundout to end the inning.

Each side went down 1-2-3 in the seventh to end the proceedings.

Siar notched the 24th multi-hit game of her career while Apke produced her 12th multi-RBI effort in a RMU uniform.

Robert Morris will be back in action Friday afternoon when it faces a must-win game against Monmouth.