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Pittsburgh, Pa. – Junior Tess Apke (Mt. Lebanon, Pa. / Mt. Lebanon) had a career day at the plate, getting a hit in every at bat and tying a single-game school record, to help the Robert Morris University softball team defeat Atlantic Coast Conference foe Pittsburgh, 6-2, on a sunny and windy Tuesday afternoon at Vartabedian Field.
 
RMU would drop the nightcap, 9-1, in five innings. However, despite the setback, the Colonials have still won four of the past five meetings against their local rival.
 
Robert Morris busted out its bats in the opener as it posted season highs in hits (13) and total bases (19). It was a team effort that was spearheaded by Apke.
 
Apke went 6-for-6 on the afternoon, including a 4-for-4 effort in the opener, tying the single-game school record for hits in the process. Her first-career four-hit game, the first by a Colonial since March 2012, made her the 16th Colonial in history to achieve the feat. Making her opening-game performance even more impressive was the fact that she homered and doubled in the contest and notched three RBI. The long ball was the 17th of her career, tying her for fifth all-time at RMU, while the two-bagger was the 24th of her career, moving her into sole possession of seventh place in the RMU annals.
 
Junior Samantha Santillo (Ellwood City, Pa. / Lincoln) and senior Chelsea Evans (Beaver Falls, Pa. / Riverside) also made significant offensive contributions in the opener.
 
Santillo was 2-for-4 with a double and three RBI. She notched her third multi-hit game of the season and the 22nd of her career. Santillo's trio of RBI marked her third outing this season with at least three and also allowed her to hit 50 runs batted in for her career.
 
Evans joined Apke in reaching base safely four times in the opener but did so in a contrasting style. She singled in her lone official at bat but also drew three walks, marking the first time in nearly seven years that a Colonial walked at least three times in a game.
 
Junior Nicole Sleith (Smithton, Pa. / Yough) earned the win in the circle by effectively navigating through the Panthers' lineup. She yielded just five hits and a pair of runs without walking or hitting a batter. She was repeatedly in the zone with her offerings as she threw 65 of her 89 pitches for strikes and finished her day with authority by retiring the final nine batters she faced.
 
Freshman Jordan Gurganus (Chesapeake, Va. / Hickory) started the contest by knocking a single to center before sophomore Ashley Gerhart (Imperial, Pa.  / West Allegheny) ripped a ground ball into right to put two on base. Apke then nailed a pitch deep to right center that caromed off of the top of the wall in the air, a double which plated Gurganus. Santillo then shot a single into center to score Gerhart and put runners on the corners. Evans walked on a full count to load the bases, but a pair of strikeouts sandwiched around a popup on the infield kept RMU from doing further damage.
 
After Sleith set down Pitt in order in the first, junior Alexis Schwartzmiller (Carnegie, Pa. / Chartiers Valley) doubled down the right field line to start the second inning. Two outs later, Apke crushed a 2-1 pitch to straightaway center to double RMU's lead.
 
A single gave Pitt a runner on first with one down in the second. Sleith got the next batter to bounce one to the right side where Schwartzmiller ranged to her right to start a nifty 4-6-3 double play, which was finished when Gurganus dug out a low throw.
 
Evans walked to start the third and would move to second with one down after sophomore Lauren Hackett (Glenshaw, Pa. / Shaler Area) singled to center, but the Colonials would be held off the board.
 
Sleith retired the side in order in the third on a pair of infield popups and a swinging strikeout.
 
Apke nailed an opposite-field single with two down in the fourth, but a groundout closed the frame.
 
Pitt then used a one-out single and a two-out homer to cut the visitors' deficit in half. After a single brought the tying run to the plate, Sleith would get a groundout to first to keep RMU ahead.
 
Evans ripped a single to the left side to start the fifth and advanced to second on a sacrifice by Hackett, but a lineout halted the chance.
 
Pitt tallied a leadoff single in the home half, but Sleith retired each of the next three batters, the final one by way of the K to keep the Colonials on top.
 
RMU added some key insurance runs in the sixth, and it started with two outs when Gerhart knocked a single into center. Apke followed by matching Gerhart's base hit to put two aboard. Santillo would come through in the clutch by lacing a double to the gap in left center to score both runners. Evans followed with a walk to keep it going, but a groundout ended the inning.
 
Schwartzmiller singled to right with two away in the seventh but would not advance.
 
Meanwhile, Sleith set down the side in order in the sixth and seventh, on three groundouts, two infield popups and a fly ball to center, to seal the RMU victory.
 
Gerhart's multi-hit outing was her sixth of the season and the 19th of her career while Schwartzmiller posted her first such effort of the season Tuesday.
 
RMU would strike first in the nightcap as well but would be unable to build on its lead this time.
 
Gerhart walked with one down in the top of the first before Apke bounced a ball into center to put two aboard, but a double play then ended the threat.
 
Pitt got a leadoff walk in the bottom half but would not advance its runner any further.
 
After each team went in order in the second, sophomore Kristen Gabelt (Ligonier, Pa. / Ligonier Valley) lined a full count offering to the right center gap for a double to lead off the third. Senior Cassie Show (Connellsville, Pa. / Connellsville) followed with a sacrifice. Gurganus then chopped a ball to the left side. Gabelt would score with a headfirst slide on the play while the rookie reached on a fielder's choice. With two down, Apke singled to center to put runners on the corners, but a fly out closed the frame.
 
The Panthers would strike back in the bottom half with five tallies, four of which were unearned. Pitt only had three hits in the frame but used two walks and two errors to help their cause.
 
Senior Chelsea Siar (Glenshaw, Pa. / Shaler Area) walked with one away in the fourth, but consecutive groundouts closed the top half.
 
A walk, a single and a homer gave the hosts additional runs in the fourth before they added their final tally on a RBI double.
 
RMU was unable to get anything going in the fifth, forcing the Colonials to settle for a split.
 
Apke contributed her eighth and ninth multi-hit games of the season Tuesday and now has 28 in her career. She also notched her second three-RBI game of the season, and sixth of her career, while posting her 16th career multi-RBI outing.
 
With its twinbill against its local rival in the books, Robert Morris will next play its second straight non-conference doubleheader. The Colonials will be right back in action Wednesday afternoon, their fourth straight day of play, when they host Youngstown State at 3:00 p.m.