Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

Charlotte, N.C. – The Robert Morris University softball team got strong contributions from both its pitchers and its offense as it notched two comfortable wins Sunday at the Green & White Tournament under mostly sunny skies at the DL Phillips Complex.
 
RMU defeated St. Bonaventure and the host 49ers by identical 7-0 scores to finish the weekend with a 4-0 mark. The Colonials were the only team to make it through a tournament unbeaten for the second time in three weeks.
 
A trio of Colonial hurlers combined to hold their opponents off the board for 14 innings, marking the first time since 2011 that RMU tallied shutouts in back-to-back contests. As a result, RMU has now conceded just five runs in its past six games. Robert Morris also notched 20 combined hits on the day, 10 in each game, including a total of seven for extra bases.
 
Junior Nicole Sleith (Smithton, Pa. / Yough) twirled a two-hit shutout in the second game against the 49ers as she allowed just one walk and no hit batters while striking out eight. With that effort, Sleith became just the fourth Colonial ever to surpass 500 strikeouts in a career. The shutout was the fourth of her season, in seven starts, and the 15th of her career.
 
Sophomore Haileigh Stocks (Jamison, Pa. / Central Bucks South) and senior Geena Badolato (Mt. Lebanon, Pa. / Mt. Lebanon) combined on a shutout in the opening game for RMU Sunday. Stocks tossed four frames to get the win while Badolato allowed just one hit and no walks in three innings to pick up the save.
 
Junior Tess Apke (Mt. Lebanon, Pa. / Mt. Lebanon) led the offensive attack for Robert Morris. She was 4-for-6 on the day with a walk, two doubles, a home run, a sacrifice fly and four RBI. Her home run was her second of the season, and the 14th of her career, and helped her reach 50 career RBI by the time the day was over. Apke now has a team-leading four multi-hit games this year and 23 in her career.
 
Sophomore Ashley Gerhart (Imperial, Pa.  / West Allegheny) helped the RMU cause by going 3-for-6 on the day with a walk, a home run, a steal, three RBI and three runs scored. The long ball was her first of the season and fourth of her career. Her multi-hit game against the Bonnies was her third of the year and the 16th of her career.
 
Senior Chelsea Siar (Glenshaw, Pa. / Shaler Area) matched Apke's hit total for the day by going 4-for-7 with a double, a RBI and two runs scored. Siar's two multi-hit games Sunday moved her career total to 27.
 
RMU jumped ahead early on St. Bonaventure before using a big inning late to put the game away.
 
After Stocks stranded a runner at third in the top of the first with a groundout, Apke drove a double to right center to start the bottom half. After a wild pitch, Stocks would deliver a fly ball to left that was plenty deep enough to score Apke with the game's first run.
 
St. Bonaventure tallied consecutive singles to start the second, but Stocks regrouped by getting a strikeout and two groundouts to end the chance.
 
Gerhart singled to start the second inning and was promptly moved to second on a sacrifice by sophomore Kristen Gabelt (Ligonier, Pa. / Ligonier Valley). Siar followed by ripping a double down the left field line, off the fence in the air, to score Gerhart. Senior Cassie Show (Connellsville, Pa. / Connellsville) singled later in the inning, but RMU was unable to add on to its lead.
 
A single, a walk and a couple of steals gave the Bonnies two runners in scoring position with one out in the third, but Stocks got another key strikeout and then a groundout to strand the pair.
 
Each of the next four half-innings went in order.
 
Apke singled down the left field line with two away in the fifth, but it would not amount to much for the Colonials.
 
Badolato worked around a two-out miscue by RMU in the sixth by getting a groundout to end the frame.
 
The Colonials broke things open by scoring five times in the sixth off of five hits. Stocks started it by shooting a double down the right field line. Junior Samantha Santillo (Ellwood City, Pa. / Lincoln) and Gerhart followed with singles. After a steal on which multiple runners advanced, Gabelt delivered a sacrifice fly. Siar got things restarted by nailing a lined shot that caromed off of the pitcher's leg and into right field for a single. Senior Chelsea Evans (Beaver Falls, Pa. / Riverside) followed with a single before Show walked to load the bases. Apke would provide the second sacrifice fly of the inning before a wild pitch brought home the game's last run.
 
After a leadoff single in the seventh, Badolato retired each of the next three batters to finish off the win.
 
The opening game marked the first time in over a decade that the Colonials notched at least three sacrifice flies in a single outing.
 
With Sleith dominating in the second game, the Colonials were able to produce a wide lead a little earlier in the contest.
 
Apke blasted a home run on the second pitch of the game beyond the fence in right center to put RMU on top right away. Stocks and Gerhart would both walk later in the inning, and an error then loaded the bases with two outs, but a groundout kept RMU from doing further damage.
 
After Sleith retired the side in order in the first, she laced a double into the right center gap to lead off the second inning. Show followed with a sacrifice bunt but actually ended up reaching base on an error. However, three consecutive groundouts closed the frame.
 
After a 1-2-3 bottom of the second, Robert Morris would break the game open in the third. Santillo lined a single to left to start the frame, and, one out later, Siar and Gabelt produced consecutive singles to load the bases. After a fielder's choice cut down the lead runner at the plate for the second out, head coach Craig Coleman called upon sophomore Lauren Hackett (Glenshaw, Pa. / Shaler Area) to pinch hit. Hackett came through in a big way as she lined a single to left to bring home a pair of runs. Apke followed by nailing a double into the right center gap to score two more runs. Freshman Jordan Gurganus (Chesapeake, Va. / Hickory) followed by sending a hard grounder into center, but RMU would have a runner thrown out at the plate to finally end the frame.
 
Sleith sent down the 49ers in order in the third while tallying her 500th strikeout, giving RMU a chance to extend its lead even further.
 
Stocks walked to start the fourth. One out later, Gerhart blasted a 1-0 pitch to the opposite field, and it cleared the fence in left with room to spare for a homer. Siar then singled to chase the 49ers' starting pitcher, but RMU would not bring her around.
 
Charlotte got its first runner in the bottom half, but Sleith would strand her at third base by getting a foul out to right.
 
Show and Apke both walked to start the fifth, but a double play would eventually end the inning.
 
Charlotte got a base hit with one out and a walk with two down in the home half to put two runners on base, but Sleith worked back from a 3-0 count to get a swinging strikeout to end the inning.
 
Santillo was hit by a pitch to start the sixth, but the inning would eventually end on a rocket of a line drive by Siar that turned into a double play.
 
Each of the final three half-innings were of the 1-2-3 variety as Sleith closed out the proceedings with a strikeout.
 
Apke tallied her second multi-RBI game of the season against Charlotte and the 14th of her career. The contest also marked the second multi-RBI outing of 2014 for Gerhart (and sixth of her career) and the first multi-RBI game for Hackett on the season (and the fifth of her career).
 
The Colonials will return to action next weekend as they play five games over three days, Feb. 28 through March 2,at an event hosted by Winthrop.