Madeira Beach, Fla. – Trailing 3-1 in the fifth inning, the
Robert Morris University softball team rallied for six runs over the final three innings to claim a come-from-behind, 7-5, victory over Texas State at the EMU Madeira Beach Invitational on a pleasant Saturday evening near the Gulf Coast of Florida.
Senior
Tess Apke and freshman
Olivia Lorusso provided the main offensive force for the Colonials as each tallied two hits, including a home run, to aid the Colonial cause.
Apke's blast was the first of her season and the 20th of her career, moving her one shy of third place in RMU history. She also added a two-out RBI single, posting her third multi-hit game of the season and the 35th of her career.
Lorusso's three-run bomb turned a deficit into a lead for RMU, giving the rookie her second long ball in as many tournaments. She notched her third multi-hit game of the young campaign as well as the first three-RBI outing of the season.
Senior
Nicole Sleith earned the win in the circle for RMU as she yielded four hits in a complete-game effort while striking out 13. She posted her fourth double-digit strikeout performance in as many starts in 2015. In doing so, Sleith moved into second place in career strikeouts at RMU, passing her current pitching coach
Erica List, as she now has 693 in her career.
Apke made sure RMU jumped on top immediately as she nailed a 1-0 pitch well over the fence in left center in the top of the first, giving the Colonials the game's first run in their seventh consecutive contest. Junior
Haileigh Stocks followed Apke's blast with a walk. Lorusso then poked a single down the left field line to put two on base, but a groundout ended the frame.
Texas State answered back with a solo shot before Sleith retired the next three batters, two via strikeout.
After the Colonials went in order in the second, the Bobcats took the lead in the home half with another solo shot.
Sophomore
Jordan Gurganus laced a triple into the right field corner to start the third inning. After an out, a ground ball to the right side resulted in the sophomore being thrown out at the plate on a fielder's choice. Stocks walked to put two aboard , but a long fly ball along the left field foul line was the third out.
Sleith struck out the side in order in the home half of the third.
Senior
Samantha Santillo singled to left with two outs in the fourth but would not advance.
The Bobcats added an insurance run in the bottom half with a two-out long ball to right.
Robert Morris came clawing back in the fifth. A one-out single by junior
Ashley Gerhart and a two-out walk by Stocks set the scene for Lorusso. The rookie crushed a 1-1 pitch slightly left of dead center to suddenly flip the script and put the Colonials on top.
Sleith retired the side in order in the fifth, allowing the Colonial offense a chance to quickly get back to the bat rack.
Junior
Kristen Gabelt started the frame by ripping a pitch into the left field corner for a stand-up double. Santillo then placed an opposite-field single in right before sophomore
Stacey Capp worked an eight-pitch walk to load the bases. A wild pitch brought home RMU's first run of the inning although two outs soon followed. With a full count and two in scoring position, Apke drove the eighth pitch of her at bat into left for a single as both runners scored on the play.
A walk and a homer allowed Texas State to creep closer in the sixth although Capp made a fine play moving to her left to net the final out.
Lorusso was hit with a pitch to start the seventh, but RMU would not make use of it.
Sleith slammed the door shut in the bottom of the seventh as she struck out the side in order to cap the comeback victory.
Stocks became just the second Colonial since 2007 to draw a base on balls three times in the same game.
Santillo notched the second multi-hit game of her season and the 24th of her career while Apke posted her first multi-RBI performance of 2015 and the 19th of her career.
Gurganus' triple was the third of her career, giving her the lead among active Colonials.
RMU concludes play in the event Sunday with games against UAB and Harvard at 11:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., respectively.
