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Rock Hill, S.C. – Junior Tess Apke (Mt. Lebanon, Pa. / Mt. Lebanon) nailed a pair of home runs Friday, the first of which helped the Robert Morris University softball team to a come-from-behind, 3-2, victory over Furman in its opening game at the Combat Invitational at a chilly Winthrop Softball Complex.
 
After winning its sixth consecutive contest in its first game, RMU would drop its second outing of the day against the host Eagles, 3-1.
 
Apke went a combined 3-for-6 on the day with the pair of long balls. The two homers gave her four this season and 16 in her career, moving her into the all-time top 10 at RMU in that category. She notched her team-leading fifth multi-hit game of the season against Winthrop, which was the 24th of her career.
 
Junior Nicole Sleith (Smithton, Pa. / Yough) earned the win in the opener for the Colonials by allowing four hits and two runs in a complete-game effort. She registered eight strikeouts while improving her record to 6-2 on the year.
 
Seniors Chelsea Evans (Beaver Falls, Pa. / Riverside) and Cassie Show (Connellsville, Pa. / Connellsville) both contributed to the Colonial offense as each posted her first multi-hit game of the season against the Paladins.
 
Senior Geena Badolato (Mt. Lebanon, Pa. / Mt. Lebanon) was the tough-luck loser in RMU's second game as she allowed four hits in a complete-game performance without walking a batter.
 
With Sleith and Badolato's efforts Friday, RMU has now allowed five hits or fewer in seven consecutive games, the longest such stretch in over 12 years by Robert Morris.
 
After each of the first three half-innings of RMU's opener went in order, Furman drew a two-out walk, but Sleith quickly notched a strikeout to close the frame.
 
Evans singled to left to start the third inning and was promptly moved to second on a sacrifice by Show. However, a popout and a strikeout ended the frame.
 
Furman struck first in the bottom half with a leadoff homer to left center. The Paladins followed with a single as they looked for more, but Sleith retired each of the next three hitters to keep the deficit at one run.
 
Each of the next three half-innings were of the 1-2-3 variety.
 
Furman tried to add to its lead in the fifth as a leadoff walk and a sacrifice put a runner in scoring position with one out, but Sleith would get a groundout and a flyout to end the threat.
 
Show started the sixth by knocking a single into center. One out later, Apke blasted a 1-0 pitch just left of dead center to suddenly turn RMU's deficit into a lead. Freshman Jordan Gurganus (Chesapeake, Va. / Hickory) and sophomore Haileigh Stocks (Jamison, Pa. / Central Bucks South) each followed with singles, but RMU was unable to add on further in that frame.
 
Sleith used a groundout and a pair of strikeouts to get RMU quickly back on offense.
 
Sophomore Ashley Gerhart (Imperial, Pa.  / West Allegheny) started the seventh with a single. One out later, Evans provided a nice piece of two-strike hitting by lining a single to the opposite field, moving Gerhart to third. Show then executed the squeeze play with success as she got the bunt down, allowing Gerhart to score a key insurance run without a play at the plate. A runner caught stealing and a groundout would end the frame.
 
Furman would attempt a comeback in the bottom of the seventh as a leadoff single followed by a one-out double brought the Paladins within one. A walk then followed which put the winning run on base with one out, but Sleith then got locked in. She struck out each of the last two batters to leave the tying and winning runs on base to secure a victory for RMU.
 
Apke tallied her third multi-RBI game of the season and the 15th of her career against Furman.
 
RMU's second game of the day was also a low-scoring affair, but this time the Colonials would not come out on top.
 
Winthrop provided the only baserunner of the first two innings, but Badolato would strand her at third base with a strikeout.
 
The Eagles took the lead in the bottom of the third. With two down, an infield hit extended the inning before a lined homer was sent over the fence in right center.
 
RMU tried to respond right away in the fourth as Apke singled to lead off the frame. With two outs, Gerhart singled to put runners at the corners, but the Eagles' first baseman would then make a diving grab of a foul ball to end the inning and strand both runners.
 
After a pair of 1-2-3 half-innings, Winthrop added to its lead with a solo homer to right center.
 
Apke would blast a 2-2 pitch on a line over the fence in left center to get RMU on the board in the sixth inning, but unfortunately for the Colonials, no one was on base at the time.
 
Badolato would work around a leadoff double in the bottom half by retiring each of the next three hitters to keep RMU within striking distance, but the Colonials could not mount a rally in their final at bat.
 
Robert Morris will be right back in action Saturday as it takes on Northern Colorado and Gardner-Webb as it continues play in the Combat Invitational.