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Moon Township, Pa. – Sophomore Kristen Gabelt (Ligonier, Pa. / Ligonier Valley) of the Robert Morris University softball team blasted a two-run homer to turn a deficit into a lead and the Colonials held on to defeat Central Connecticut State, 2-1, in the opening game of a Northeast Conference (NEC) doubleheader at a sun-splashed North Athletic Complex Saturday afternoon.
 
A late RMU rally would come up short in the nightcap as the Colonials dropped the contest, once again by a 2-1 score.
 
Senior Cassie Show (Connellsville, Pa. / Connellsville) broke a notable RMU record Saturday. She appeared in her 199th career contest in a Colonial uniform in the nightcap to reset the program record for all-time games played, a mark that was previously held by Jessica Calderone.
 
Gabelt's game-winning blast came with two down in the fifth inning and was her second long ball of the season and fourth of her career.
 
Junior Nicole Sleith (Smithton, Pa. / Yough) earned the victory in the opener as she allowed just three hits and a lone run in the outing. She struck out nine against a single walk to notch the 56th win of her career, moving her into a tie for third in RMU career history.
 
Sophomore Haileigh Stocks (Jamison, Pa. / Central Bucks South) was 2-for-3 with a double and a RBI in the nightcap. In the process, she posted her sixth multi-hit game of the season and the 11th of her career.
 
CCSU got a leadoff single to open the first game, but Sleith responded by retiring each of the next three batters, the final one of which came when senior Chelsea Siar (Glenshaw, Pa. / Shaler Area) made a nice leaping grab of a line drive.
 
Freshman Jordan Gurganus (Chesapeake, Va. / Hickory) bounced a single to right with one out in the bottom half. Junior Tess Apke (Mt. Lebanon, Pa. / Mt. Lebanon) followed with a single down the left field line, but an infield fly and a strikeout closed the frame.
 
The Blue Devils jumped on top with a two-out solo homer to left center in the second inning.
 
There was only one baserunner combined in the next two-and-a-half innings as a two-out single by Central in the fourth amounted to nothing.
 
The leadoff batter of the fifth was hit by a pitch. Sleith then fielded a bunt and forced the lead runner at second before getting a groundout and a looking strikeout to end the threat.
 
With two away in the bottom half, senior Chelsea Evans (Beaver Falls, Pa. / Riverside) dropped a double down the left field line. Gabelt followed by blasting a 1-2 pitch over the fence in left center to suddenly put the Colonials in front.
 
CCSU took a one-out walk in the sixth, but Sleith got a pair of groundouts to close the frame.
 
An error and a steal by pinch-runner Ajariee Seigel (Millerstown, Pa. / Greenwood) put a Colonial in scoring position with two down in the bottom half, but a groundout kept the margin at one run.
 
Sleith ended the contest with no dramatics as she got a pair of looking strikeouts sandwiched around a fly ball to center to seal the victory.
 
The teams once again combined for just three runs in the nightcap, but this time there were no home runs involved.
 
Sleith retired Central in order in the first on two groundouts and a strikeout.
 
Some shaky defense by the Blue Devils gave the Colonials a pair of runners on with two down in the home half, but a popup kept the inning scoreless.
 
Central Connecticut State used a hit batter, a sacrifice and a single to center to plate the game's first run.
 
After RMU went in order, Central started the third with a bunt single. With one down, junior Samantha Santillo (Ellwood City, Pa. / Lincoln) gunned down the runner trying to steal for the second out. A walk and a single followed, but a groundout ended the chance.
 
Each of the next two half-innings was of the 1-2-3 variety.
 
A hit batter with one out opened the door slightly for the Colonials in the fourth, but a caught stealing would end the inning.
 
A pair of walks, a steal and a fielder's choice groundout gave the Blue Devils a crucial insurance run in the fifth.
 
Stocks ripped a double into the left field corner with one away in the bottom half but would move no further.
 
The Blue Devils threatened in the sixth by using two hits to put runners at second and third with one out, but senior Geena Badolato (Mt. Lebanon, Pa. / Mt. Lebanon) worked out of the jam by getting consecutive swinging strikeouts.
 
Sophomore Ashley Gerhart (Imperial, Pa.  / West Allegheny) led off the sixth with a single to right, but each of the next three hitters was retied.
 
Badolato worked around a one-out walk in the seventh and ended the inning with a swinging strikeout.
 
A mishandled bunt by CCSU started the bottom of the seventh. With one out, Stocks delivered a RBI single to score Show and bring the winning run to the plate. However, the Blue Devils would fan each of the final two Colonial batters to force a split of the doubleheader.
 
The multi-RBI effort in the opener was Gabelt's second of the season and the fourth of her career.
 
With its back-to-back doubleheaders in the rearview mirror, Robert Morris will next play its final non-conference games of the season. The Colonials will host St. Bonaventure Thursday, April 24, at 3:00 p.m.