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Newark, Del. – Junior Nicole Sleith (Smithton, Pa. / Yough) twirled an eight-inning no-hitter against Villanova as the Robert Morris University softball team won a 1-0 decision over the Wildcats in its final game at the University of Delaware Invitational on a very cold and breezy Sunday at UD Softball Stadium.
 
RMU opened the day with a contest against Cornell but came up on the wrong end of a 3-2 decision.
 
Sleith notched her second career no-hitter with the effort, becoming one of just three Colonials in school history to toss multiple no-hitters in a career. She maintained the shutout as well even though the eighth inning for each team began with a runner on second base with the international tiebreaker in effect. It was her fifth shutout of the season and the 16th of her career. Sleith struck out eight batters in the contest while yielding a lone walk.
 
Freshman Jordan Gurganus (Chesapeake, Va. / Hickory) provided the ending to the dramatic victory as her walk-off single brought home the winning run.
 
Junior Tess Apke (Mt. Lebanon, Pa. / Mt. Lebanon) was 3-for-4 with a RBI double in RMU's opener Sunday. It was her first three-hit game of the season and her 25th career multi-hit game. The two-bagger also moved her into a tie for seventh in career doubles at RMU (23).
 
Sophomore Ashley Gerhart (Imperial, Pa.  / West Allegheny) reached base safely in each of her three plate appearances in the opener as she was 2-for-2 with a double and a walk. She notched her fourth multi-hit game of the season and the 17th of her career.
 
Apke poked a two-out single to right in the top of the first but would not advance. Cornell went down in order in the bottom half of the frame.
 
Gerhart sent a hard single into center with one away in the second but would not move up any further. A one-out walk in the home half of the frame did not prove important for the Big Red.
 
After an error extended the top of the third inning, Apke lined a single into right. The throw from the outfielder caromed off a Colonial runner and out of play, which would give Robert Morris the lead.
 
Cornell could only muster a two-out walk in the bottom of the third.
 
Gerhart lined an opposite-field double down the line in left with one out in the fourth and moved to third on a passed ball, but a strikeout and a groundout close the inning.
 
After the Big Red went in order in the bottom half, Gurganus singled with one out in the fifth but would move no further.
 
Cornell used a Colonial miscue and a single to start their half of the fifth with promise, but consecutive strikeouts and a groundout left the runners stranded.
 
Gerhart walked with two outs in the sixth and moved to second when sophomore Lauren Hackett (Glenshaw, Pa. / Shaler Area) lined a single down the left field line, but a foul out ended the inning.
 
Cornell took the lead in the bottom of the sixth by getting three hits and taking two walks and a hit by pitch to produce a trio of runs.
 
RMU tried to rally in the seventh as a Cornell error followed by a double by Apke pulled the Colonials within one and put the tying run in scoring position with two outs, but a fly out ended the contest.
 
The second game was a classic pitchers' duel as neither team produced a hit until the bottom of the seventh inning.
 
Both pitchers retired the side in order in each of the first three innings as just two combined balls in play were hit out of the infield. Sleith continued the trend in the top of the fourth by handling a groundout herself and getting a pair of strikeouts.
 
Senior Chelsea Evans (Beaver Falls, Pa. / Riverside) was the first batter to reach base when she walked with one away in the fourth. She moved to second on a wild pitch, and, one out later, a Wildcats' error put runners on the corners. Gerhart followed by delivering solid contact on a line drive to right center, but the ball was not quite placed well enough to fall in.
 
Villanova got its first runner in the fifth when RMU made a miscue with one down. Sleith did not let it bother her, though, as she got a strikeout and a groundout to make the error essentially meaningless.
 
Freshman Stacey Capp (McKees Rocks, Pa. / Montour) was hit by a pitch with one out in the bottom half and was moved to second on a sacrifice by senior Chelsea Siar (Glenshaw, Pa. / Shaler Area), but a fly out did not bring home the run.
 
Villanova took a two-out walk in the sixth, but RMU forced the lead runner at second to keep the game scoreless.
 
A two-base error followed by a sacrifice from Evans put a Colonial on third with one down, but a strikeout and a fly out stranded her 60 feet from home.
 
Sleith worked around a two-out error in the seventh by getting a groundout for the third out.
 
Sophomore Haileigh Stocks (Jamison, Pa. / Central Bucks South) lined a sharp single to left with one out in the bottom of the seventh. Hackett then worked a walk after previously being down in the count, but a full count strikeout and a fly out sent the game to extras.
 
With the international tiebreaker in effect, Sleith struck out the first batter before getting a groundout that moved the runner to third. Sleith kept the shutout intact by getting one final swinging strikeout.
 
Gurganus led off the eighth and wasted little time in ending the game as she sent a 1-1 pitch quickly to the right of second base and into right center to score senior Cassie Show (Connellsville, Pa. / Connellsville) with the winning run.
 
With Sleith's effort, RMU has now kept an opponent hitless at least once in each of the past three seasons.
 
After playing their first 24 games away from home, the Colonials will open play on their own campus when they resume action next weekend. They will play six games, two each Friday, Saturday and Sunday, as they host the inaugural RMU Colonial Classic.