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Moon Township, Pa. – Four members of the Robert Morris University softball team tallied multi-RBI outings as the Colonials broke out their bats to take down league-leading Bryant, 8-5, in the nightcap of a Northeast Conference (NEC) doubleheader at an overcast North Athletic Complex Friday afternoon.
 
RMU matched Bryant's hit total in the opener but dropped a 4-2 decision.
 
Freshman Jordan Gurganus (Chesapeake, Va. / Hickory) led the team in hits on the day as she was 4-for-8 at the plate with a steal and the first multi-RBI game of her career in the nightcap. In the same game, she added her 10th multi-hit outing, and second three-hit performance, of the season.
 
Junior Tess Apke (Mt. Lebanon, Pa. / Mt. Lebanon) was 3-for-7 with a two-run homer, a steal and two runs scored. The blast was her career-best seventh of the season and the 19th of her career. She now leads the team with 12 multi-hit games, and has 31 in her career, and also tops the squad with six multi-RBI games, of which she now has 18 in her career.
 
Senior Cassie Show (Connellsville, Pa. / Connellsville) went 3-for-6 on the day with two doubles, a steal and two runs scored. Show posted her third multi-hit game of the season in the opener, the 18th of her career, and now has five doubles in the past six games.

Senior Chelsea Siar (Glenshaw, Pa. / Shaler Area) matched Show's pair of doubles on the day, added two RBI and also reached via hit by pitch. She notched her fifth multi-RBI outing of the season and 20th of her career in the nightcap.
 
Senior Geena Badolato (Mt. Lebanon, Pa. / Mt. Lebanon) earned the win in the circle for RMU by scattering five singles while being charged with two earned runs. She improved to 4-0 in her career against the Bulldogs and has a 1.40 ERA against the program over appearances in each of the four years.
 
Junior Nicole Sleith (Smithton, Pa. / Yough) claimed the save in the nightcap with two shutout innings of work in which she struck out two without walking a batter. She notched the 11th save of her career, extending her own program record in the category.
 
Each team was retired in order in the first inning of the opener.
 
Bryant threatened in the second, putting two on with one out via a single and a hit batter, but Sleith retired the next two batters to strand a pair in scoring position.
 
Show singled with two outs in the bottom half and moved to third when sophomore Lauren Hackett (Glenshaw, Pa. / Shaler Area) followed with a single down the right field line. The duo then executed a double steal that put the Colonials on top.
 
The Bulldogs came right back to grab the lead in the third as a single, an error and a two-out double to left put the guests up, 2-1.
 
Sophomore Ashley Gerhart (Imperial, Pa.  / West Allegheny) blasted a lined shot over the fence in center with one away in the third to tie the game. It was her fourth long ball of the season and the seventh of her career. Apke singled to left with two down and stole second but was left there.
 
After Sleith set down the side in order in the fourth, Show ripped a one-out double to right center in the home half, but she would advance no further.
 
A single, a walk and an error loaded the bases with one out in the fifth for Bryant, but Sleith responded by getting a swinging strikeout and a groundout to wiggle out of the jam.
 
Gurganus singled to center with two down in the fifth and promptly stole second, but a groundout ended the chance.
 
Bryant took the lead in the sixth as a two-out double, the third hit of the inning for the Bulldogs, put the guests up by a pair.
 
Siar doubled to right center to open the bottom half of the frame, but a fly out, a popup and a groundout followed.
 
Sleith stranded two in scoring position in the seventh by getting a swinging strikeout to end the inning.
 
Senior Chelsea Evans (Beaver Falls, Pa. / Riverside) led off the bottom of the seventh by lining the 10th pitch of her at bat into center for a single, bringing the tying run to the plate. Bryant would then get a groundout, a strikeout and a fly out to close out the contest.
 
RMU wasted no time in jumping out to an early lead in the nightcap.
 
After Badolato set down the side in order in the top of the first, the RMU offense came ready in the home half. Gerhart tallied an opposite-field single to lead off the game. One out later, Apke nailed a lined shot over the fence down the left field line to put the Colonials on top. With two down, Show got things restarted by knocking an opposite-field double to right center. Junior Samantha Santillo (Ellwood City, Pa. / Lincoln) followed by notching her second homer of the season on a fly ball to left center.
 
Bryant got one back in the second, but it could have been worse if not for Badolato and the right side of her infield. A walk, a single and two hit batters brought home a run and left the bases loaded with no outs. Each of the next three batters hit ground balls to the right side. Evans gunned down runners at the plate on the first two before Gurganus handled one herself to leave the sacks full.
 
Robert Morris got the single tally back in the bottom half. Junior Alexis Schwartzmiller (Carnegie, Pa. / Chartiers Valley) started the frame with a double to right center and was moved to third on a sacrifice by sophomore Kristen Gabelt (Ligonier, Pa. / Ligonier Valley). After Gerhart walked, Gurganus nailed a ground ball into center to score Schwartzmiller. With two down, Siar was hit by a pitch to load the bases, but a strikeout ended the frame.
 
The third was a stark contrast to the second as both teams went down in order.
 
Badolato worked around a pair of singles in the fourth to keep the lead at four runs.
 
The Colonials extended their edge in the home half, and it all started with two outs. Gurganus and Apke both singled before Siar roped a double to the left center gap to score both of her teammates.
 
The Bulldogs started to climb back into the game in the fifth as they used three hits and a pair of Colonial miscues to score three times.
 
After RMU went in order in the fifth, Bryant continued its comeback attempt in the sixth as it put runners on the corners with no outs from a pair of singles. Santillo then gunned down the trail runner trying to steal for the first out before a sacrifice fly and a strikeout closed the frame.
 
Gabelt singled to left to start the bottom half, moved to second on a groundout and came around to score on a single by Gurgnaus.
 
A two-out error extended the seventh for Bryant, but only for a moment, as Sleith got a groundout to finish off the victory.
 
Santillo's long ball was the ninth of her career and allowed her to post her fourth multi-hit game of the season and the 14th of her career.
 
The last time that Robert Morris had at least four student-athletes tally multiple RBI in a single game, as it did Friday, came over two years ago. Apke and Santillo contributed to both Friday's effort and the next most recent one in 2012.
 
The Colonials will be right back in action Saturday afternoon as they host Central Connecticut State at Noon. The first game will be preceded by a Senior Day ceremony.