Myrtle Beach, S.C. – The
Robert Morris University softball team played a pair of tight contests with host Charlotte on the final day of the Green & White Tournament, but the 49ers won both times by one run as the teams dodged sprinkles Sunday on Navin Field at the Cal Ripken Experience complex.
RMU allowed an unearned run in the seventh to fall 1-0 in the opener before being unable to hold a lead in the nightcap and dropping a 5-4 decision.
Senior
Nicole Sleith pitched well in defeat for the Colonials as she allowed only five hits and one earned run in 8.2 innings of work. She struck out 15 on the day, including 12 in a complete-game effort in the opener, her fifth double-digit strikeout effort of the season and the 19th of her career.
Senior
Tess Apke, junior
Kristen Gabelt and sophomore
Jordan Gurganus led the RMU offense as each netted a trio of hits on the day. Apke added a pair of RBI and a sacrifice while Gurganus scored a run.
Robert Morris outhit Charlotte in the opening game Sunday morning but could not take advantage of its chances.
Each team went in order in the first inning as Sleith struck out the side on 11 pitches.
Sleith set down the side in order in the top of the second on a groundout and two more strikeouts.
Gabelt singled to left with one out in the bottom half to be the first baserunner of the game. She advanced to second on a groundout but would be left there.
Sleith worked around a leadoff walk in the third by striking out each of the next three batters that stepped in against her.
Gurganus singled with two outs in the bottom half but was subsequently caught trying to steal to get into scoring position.
Charlotte went in order again in the fourth on a soft lineout, a strikeout and an infield popup.
Apke singled to center on the first pitch of the bottom half, but the Colonials left a runner at second base with a groundout.
The 49ers had a good chance to take the lead in the fifth as a single, a walk and a double steal put runners at second and third with one out, but Sleith got a three-pitch strikeout and induced a groundout to strand both runners.
RMU went in order in each of its next two half-innings.
Charlotte put two on with two out in the sixth with a single and a walk, but a groundout kept the game scoreless until the seventh.
The 49ers used a leadoff double and a sacrifice to move a runner to third with one out in the final frame. Sleith then got a three-pitch strikeout for the second out, and it appeared RMU could get out of the inning when the next batter rolled a grounder on the infield, but the Colonial defense couldn't secure the out at first, allowing a run to score.
Robert Morris would not go quietly in the bottom half. Freshman
Olivia Lorusso started things with an opposite-field single with one out before Gabelt knocked a base hit to put two on for RMU. A fielder's choice then loaded the bases as Charlotte unsuccessfully tried to make a play on the lead runner. With the winning run on second, the next two RMU batters both worked the count full, but neither would be able to drive in a run, leaving the Colonials to suffer a tough setback.
Gabelt tallied her second consecutive multi-hit outing in the opener. It was her fifth of the season and the 16th of her career.
RMU took a lead relatively early in the nightcap but would be unable to hold on as nine runners left on base came back to hurt the Colonials.
A leadoff single to left by Gurganus, a sacrifice by Apke, another single to left by junior
Ashley Gerhart and a groundout by Lorusso plated a run for RMU in the top of the first.
Charlotte took advantage of a one-out hit batter in the bottom half as a RBI single to center tied it after a groundout had advanced the runner to second.
With one out in the second and a Colonial on base via an error, senior
Alexis Schwartzmiller worked a nine-pitch walk to put two on base. Sophomore
Stacey Capp then put down a sacrifice, but an overthrow by the 49ers allowed a run to score. Gurganus then singled to load the bases before Apke came through by knocking a two-run single to right field.
RMU worked around a leadoff single by Charlotte in the home half as a sacrifice followed by a pair of groundouts ended the inning.
Freshman
Mary Funderlich walked with two outs in the third but would not move up further.
A two-out single by Charlotte in the home half yielded nothing as a groundout followed.
Apke singled to center with two outs in the fourth, but RMU would not add on to its lead.
Charlotte went down 1-2-3 in the bottom half on a popup, on which Capp made a fantastic diving catch, and two groundouts.
Lorusso walked to start the fifth and advanced to second on a fly ball to left center. After a fielder's choice, Funderlich walked on eight pitches to put two on base, but a fly out ended the inning.
Charlotte took the lead with four runs in the fifth as three hits, a pair of errors, two steals and a fielder's choice provided the 49ers with just enough to pull ahead.
After RMU went in order in the sixth, Charlotte used a leadoff single, a steal and a sacrifice to get a runner to third with one out, but Sleith held firm and got consecutive strikeouts to keep the deficit at one.
Gabelt singled to center on a full count with two outs, and junior
Haileigh Stocks followed with a full count walk to put the tying run in scoring position for RMU in the seventh, but a long foul ball was secured by the right fielder to close the affair.
Gurganus posted her team-leading sixth multi-hit game of the season, and the 19th of her career, in the opener. She now has 20 hits in the team's first 13 games of the season.
Apke tallied her fourth multi-hit game of the season and the 36th of her career in the nightcap against the 49ers. Her second multi-RBI effort of 2015, the 20th of her career, moved her just three RBI shy of cracking the career top 10 at Robert Morris.
While the setback dropped Robert Morris to 7-6 on the season, the Colonials have been in nearly every game as four of their six setbacks have been by a single tally.
The Colonials will have to wait until next weekend for a chance to rebound as they resume action March 6-8 at the USF
Under Armour Showcase. RMU will play five games over three days beginning with matchups against Georgetown and Maine Friday afternoon.
