Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

Fairfield, Conn. – The Robert Morris University softball team cruised to a win in the opening game of its Northeast Conference (NEC) doubleheader against Sacred Heart and jumped out to a lead in the nightcap, but the Colonials were unable to hold on and complete the sweep on a mostly sunny Sunday afternoon at Pioneer Park.
 
RMU won the opener, 5-1, before dropping the nightcap, 4-3.
 
Junior Nicole Sleith (Smithton, Pa. / Yough) spun a beauty in the opener as she earned the complete game win in the circle. She allowed just five hits and one unearned run while striking out four without walking or hitting a batter. Sleith, who is undefeated in her last six starts, was incredibly efficient as she threw 55 of her 74 pitches for strikes.
 
Senior Chelsea Siar (Glenshaw, Pa. / Shaler Area) was an on-base machine Sunday as she went a combined 3-for-4 with two walks, four RBI and a sacrifice. She tallied her fifth multi-hit game of the season in the opener, which doubled as the 29th of her career. She also added her first three-RBI performance of the season in the first game, the fourth such outing of her career.
 
Junior Tess Apke (Mt. Lebanon, Pa. / Mt. Lebanon) and freshman Jordan Gurganus (Chesapeake, Va. / Hickory) both added three hits and multiple runs scored on the day with the former adding two RBI and a steal and the latter contributing a walk as well. Apke posted her team-leading 11th multi-hit game of the season, and the 30th of her career, while the rookie added her ninth multi-hit performance of the season.
 
Each team went down in order in the first inning of the first game.
 
Siar worked a seven-pitch walk in the second, but nothing further would come from it. Sleith worked around a two-out single in the home half by getting a strikeout to end the frame.
 
Two Sacred Heart errors with two down in the third sandwiched around a walk to Gurganus allowed RMU to crack the scoreboard first.
 
After Sleith retired the side in order on a trio of groundouts in the bottom half, Robert Morris doubled its lead in the fourth.
 
Sophomore Haileigh Stocks (Jamison, Pa. / Central Bucks South) lined a single into center with one out before sophomore Kristen Gabelt (Ligonier, Pa. / Ligonier Valley) worked an eight-pitch walk. Senior Cassie Show (Connellsville, Pa. / Connellsville) then lined a 2-2 pitch into right center for a RBI single.
 
Sleith retired the side in order in the bottom of both the fourth and fifth, part of a stretch in which she retired 12 consecutive Pioneers.
 
Siar knocked a two-out RBI single to left in the fifth, scoring Gurganus, and giving RMU its third run of the game.
 
Gabelt singled to center to start the sixth and was sacrificed to second by Show, but she would advance no further.
 
Consecutive hits with two outs gave the Pioneers runners on the corners in the sixth, but Sleith got a routine groundout to end the threat.
 
RMU put the finishing touches on the win in the seventh as Gurganus' bunt single and a single to left by Apke started the frame. Junior Samantha Santillo (Ellwood City, Pa. / Lincoln) then put down a sacrifice before Siar knocked an opposite-field single to right to bring both runners around to score.
 
Sacred Heart used two singles and a Colonial error with one out to score its lone run of the game in the bottom half, ruining Sleith's shutout bid. The hurler refused to let the Pioneers get any closer, though, as she got a strikeout and a groundout to end it.
 
Siar's multi-RBI outing was the 19th of her career.
 
RMU looked poised for a sweep when it struck right away in the nightcap, but it was unable to hold on to its lead.
 
Sophomore Ashley Gerhart (Imperial, Pa.  / West Allegheny) started the game by shooting the first pitch back up the middle for a single. Gurganus followed by dropping a bunt single down on the left side of the infield before Apke knocked an opposite-field single to right to score Gerhart. Siar kept the hit parade going by grounding a single into center, scoring Gurganus, before Santillo picked up a RBI with a fielder's choice. Stocks then singled to put two runners aboard, but the Colonials would not add on any further.
 
Sacred Heart was retired in order in the bottom half of the first. Gurganus singled with two down in the second but was caught stealing with the next batter up.
 
The Pioneers came back to tie the game in the second as they used four hits to get a trio of runs across before Santillo finally ended the frame by catching a runner stealing.
 
Apke singled to center to start the third and moved to second on a sacrifice by Siar but would not come all the way around.
 
Sacred Heart tallied two hits in the home half, but a 'strike 'em out, throw 'em out' double play turned by the Colonials helped keep the game tied.
 
Senior Chelsea Evans (Beaver Falls, Pa. / Riverside) notched a two-out single in the fourth, but a caught stealing closed the frame.
 
Sacred Heart scored what proved to be the winning run in the fourth. A hit batter, a single to left and an infield single were followed by an error that allowed an unearned run to touch the dish.
 
Neither side would produce a baserunner in the fifth.
 
Siar walked to open the sixth and moved to third on Show's two-out double to right center, but both runners would be stranded after a groundout.
 
Robert Morris could not muster a rally in its final at bat and was forced to settle for a split of the twinbill.
 
Senior Geena Badolato (Mt. Lebanon, Pa. / Mt. Lebanon) pitched well in defeat for RMU as she allowed one unearned run in four innings of work that saw her strike out three without walking a batter.
 
Robert Morris will conclude its eight game road trip this coming Wednesday as it takes a step out of NEC play. The Colonials will travel to Canisius and face the Golden Griffins in a doubleheader.