Oxford, Ohio – The
Robert Morris University softball team utilized a 14-hit attack to take down Detroit, 6-3, in each team's opening game at the Miami Invitational Thursday night under partly cloudy skies at the Miami Softball Stadium.
RMU's 14 base knocks are tied for its highest such output since April 2013 and also gives the Colonials double-digit hits in back-to-back games for the first time this season and the sixth overall.
Junior
Kristen Gabelt was one of the offensive leaders Thursday as she was not retired in the game. She went 3-for-3 with a walk to post her second three-hit outing in the past two weeks. The effort was her sixth multi-hit game of the season and the 17th of her career.
Sophomore
Jordan Gurganus joined Gabelt in notching a trio of hits against the Titans as she was 3-for-4 with a triple, a career-high three runs scored and a steal. It marked her team-leading third three-hit game of the season and the fifth of her career.
Junior
Ashley Gerhart reached base safely three times for the Colonials for the second straight game as the center fielder was 1-for-2 with a pair of walks.
Meanwhile, senior
Nicole Sleith was busy keeping the Titans off the base paths as she allowed two hits in a complete game win. It marks the fewest hits she's yielded in her last 17 starts as she just missed notching her eighth double-digit strikeout effort of the season.
Gurganus got Robert Morris off to a roaring start as she ripped a triple to the fence in right field to start the game. Sophomore
Stacey Capp then delivered the run with a RBI groundout to give the Colonials the lead two batters into the game.
Sleith worked around a leadoff walk in the bottom half by striking out a pair and getting a foul out to Gurganus at first.
Gabelt laced a liner toward the left field line to start the second with a single. Junior
Haileigh Stocks then reached base on a sacrifice attempt to put two aboard, but a popup, a groundout and a caught stealing ended the frame.
Sleith retired the Titans in order in the second on a groundout and consecutive swinging strikeouts.
RMU added to its lead in the third as Gurganus got things started with a one-out single. After a Detroit miscue, Gerhart worked a seven-pitch walk to load the bases. Senior
Tess Apke bounded a pitch quickly into left to bring home a pair of runs. Gabelt followed with a liner to left for a hit, but a Colonial was thrown out at the plate on a controversial call on the play. Stocks would then single to left with two outs to score Apke with RMU's third run of the frame.
Detroit again took a leadoff walk in the third, but a lineout and back-to-back groundouts closed the inning.
A sharp one-out single by senior
Alexis Schwartzmiller and a two-out hit by Gurganus put runners on the corners. Capp then dumped a two-out hit into right center to plate the senior before Gerhart's single to center scored the sophomore.
A walk and a miscue were followed by a two-run double for the Titans to get them back into the game in the bottom of the fourth.
Apke started the fifth with a hot shot single to left, and Gabelt followed with a seven-pitch walk. After two outs, senior
Samantha Santillo walked, but a fly out to the warning track in right center soon followed.
Sleith retired the Titans 1-2-3 in the home half on a popup, a strikeout and a fly out.
Freshman
Kecia Sharp began the sixth with a pinch-hit, line-drive single to right. With two away, Gerhart worked a walk to put two aboard, but a groundout kept RMU from adding to its lead.
The Titans scored their final tally via solo homer in the sixth. Sleith struck out two of the next four batters with a walk and a fly out mixed in.
Gabelt singled to left center to start the seventh inning. Schwartzmiller then sent a bounding ball just fair down the third base line for a two-out double, but a foul out ended RMU's offensive chances.
A two-out walk in the home half ended up having a minimal impact as Sleith got the next batter to pop up to seal the victory.
Apke notched her seventh multi-hit performance of the season and the 39th of her career Thursday. Her third multi-RBI game of 2015, and the 21st of her career, moved her into RMU's career top 10 in that category as she surpassed her current assistant coach
Keri Meyer with her new total of 78.
Gurganus' multi-hit game was her team-leading eighth of the season, and the 21st of her career, while her three-bagger was her second of the season and the fourth of her career, the most among active Colonials.
Schwartzmiller posted her fifth multi-hit game of the season and her 11th career two-bagger Thursday while Capp collected the first multi-RBI effort of her career.
Gerhart's two bases on balls against the Titans moved her into the top 10 in RMU history in that department.
In a change from the original schedule, RMU will have Friday off due to significant rain in the forecast for southwestern Ohio. The Colonials are scheduled to be back in action with two games Saturday, the first of which is against North Dakota at 10:00 a.m.
