Moon Township, Pa. – Junior
Kristen Gabelt blasted three home runs, as her team hit seven on the day, to lead the
Robert Morris University softball team to a sweep of Mount St. Mary's as the Colonials opened their home slate as well as Northeast Conference play Sunday afternoon at a partly sunny North Athletic Complex.
RMU never trailed in winning the opener, 7-3, but had to battle back to claim an 11-6 decision in the nightcap against a Mountaineer squad that was coming off a win over defending NEC champion Bryant one day prior.
The Colonials registered five home runs in the nightcap, their most in a contest since the 2012 home opener. Senior
Tess Apke was part of both efforts.
Gabelt had a career day as she went 3-for-6 with a trio of long balls, including a pair in the opening game. She becomes the first Colonial to have a multi-homer game since
Chelsea Siar did so in 2011, which ironically also came at home against Mount St. Mary's. Gabelt also reached base via a walk and a hit by pitch Sunday and notched her third three-RBI outing of the season and the seventh multi-RBI effort of her career.
Junior
Haileigh Stocks led RMU in multiple offensive categories Sunday as she went 4-for-6 with a walk, a home run, five RBI and two runs scored. She posted a pair of multi-hit games on the same day for the second time in her career, moving her season total in that category to four and her career mark to 15. She posted her first three-RBI effort of the season, and fourth of her career, in the opening game.
Junior
Ashley Gerhart reached base safely four times Sunday as she notched a pair of hits and two walks along with a home run and three runs scored. The long ball was her third of the season, and 10th of her career, and helped her post her sixth multi-hit game of the season and the 29th of her career.
RMU jumped out to an early lead in the opener, but the Mountaineers would make it tight for a brief time in the middle innings.
Mount St. Mary's received a two-out walk in the top of the first, but senior
Nicole Sleith then got a three-pitch strikeout.
Sophomore
Jordan Gurganus ripped a single to left to start the bottom half and could trot home one out later when Gabelt cleared the fence in left center with a long ball. Freshman
Olivia Lorusso got things restarted with a walk, and Apke then singled to left to put two on base. After a strikeout, Stocks nailed a low liner right up the middle, but it deflected off the pitcher's leg toward the second baseman, turning it into a groundout.
With two runners on via singles and one out in the second, the Mountaineers shot a single to right. After stopping initially, the lead runner tried to score after the throw to the plate was not on target, but senior
Samantha Santillo tracked down the ball and rushed to the dish to apply the tag as the runner was sliding in for the second out. Sleith followed with a three-pitch strikeout to leave two in scoring position.
Senior
Alexis Schwartzmiller placed a single down the left field line with one away in the second and would reach scoring position with two down, but a groundout ended the frame.
Sleith retired the side in order in the third on a fly out to Gerhart, a groundout to Stocks and a swinging strikeout.
Gabelt opened the third by crushing a no-doubter way beyond the fence in left center. One out later, Apke doubled down the left field. After a walk by Gerhart, Stocks singled up the middle to bring home a run although the Colonials would not add on further.
Mount St. Mary's tightened the proceedings considerably with a trio of home runs in the fourth inning.
After RMU went in order for the only time, Sleith worked around a two-out miscue by getting an inning-ending strikeout.
Gabelt didn't homer her third time up but she did work a seven-pitch walk to start a rally with one out. With two runners on after a Mount error, Gerhart walked to load the bases. Stocks then came through with a two-strike, two-out single that brought home a pair of runs. Santillo followed with a single to left to bring home Gerhart as RMU added another insurance run.
Sleith retired the side in order in the sixth on 12 pitches.
Sophomore
Stacey Capp was hit by a pitch to open the home half but would not advance.
The Mountaineers tallied a leadoff single in the seventh and appeared to have another base hit from the next batter, but Stocks ranged well to her right and made a diving backhand stop before flipping to Capp to force the lead runner. After a two-out single, RMU got a fielder's choice to close the affair.
Gabelt's two-homer game was her eighth multi-hit outing of the season and the 19th of her career. Apke posted her 10th multi-hit performance of the season, and the 42nd of her career, while notching her team-leading seventh two-bagger, the 31st of her career.
Robert Morris would fall behind early on in the second game but would not be down for long.
Sleith set down the Mountaineers in order in the first on a groundout, a strikeout and a fly out.
A single to center by Capp with one out, a hit batter and a fielder's choice put runners on the corners with two outs in the bottom half. Capp and Lorusso then executed a double steal to bring home one run. Stocks followed with a single to put two on base again, but a popup ended the frame.
Mount St. Mary's used a solo shot, two singles and another blast to open up a three-run lead in the second inning. An infield single and a walk gave the guests a chance to add on further, but a strikeout brought the Colonials to bat.
The RMU offense was determined not to be behind for long as it put on an amazing power display in the bottom half. Gerhart singled to left center to start things. After Schwartzmiller was robbed of a hit by a diving catch of a liner, Santillo singled to center. Gurganus then nailed a pitch deep down the right field line, and her first-career homer tied the contest. After a second out, Gabelt pulled a high fly ball deep over the fence in left to put RMU on top. Lorusso and Stocks followed by each working full-count walks, and Apke rewarded their patience by driving a 1-0 offering over the fence in left center. Gerhart then doubled the fun by sending a laser of a liner out of the park in left to tally RMU's fourth long ball of the frame.
Sleith retired the side in order in the third on 12 pitches.
Santillo walked to begin the home half and would move to second with two down, but a well-struck liner by Gabelt would find the glove of the center fielder.
Sleith again dealt with the Mountaineers quickly as she got a strikeout, a groundout and a fly out in order on nine pitches.
Lorusso worked an eight-pitch walk to open the bottom of the fourth, and Stocks joined the long-ball party by sending a 2-1 pitch over the fence in right center.
A pair of walks and an infield single loaded the bases with two away in the fifth. The Mountaineers then took advantage of some Colonial miscues to score a pair of unearned runs before a strikeout prevented further damage.
Gurganus dropped a single into right with one away in the bottom half and reached second with two outs but would not come all the way around.
Sleith worked around a one-out single in the sixth by handling a liner herself and getting a fly ball to Apke.
RMU went in order for the only time in the game in the home half.
Mount St. Mary's notched a pair of singles in the seventh, but Sleith shut the door and closed out the sweep with a three-pitch swinging strikeout.
RMU last had five homers in a NEC game in 2006 as current assistant coach
Keri Meyer contributed to that 2006 performance.
Apke's long ball was the 21st of her career, moving her into a tie for third in RMU career history. She also edged into ninth in program history in career RBI (83) with her first three-RBI effort of the season, the seventh of her career. The outing was her fourth multi-RBI game of 2015 and the 22nd of her career.
Stocks notched a pair of multi-RBI games Sunday and now has seven in her career. Her homer was her eighth in a Colonial uniform.
Gurganus posted her team-leading 11th multi-hit outing in the nightcap, the 24th of her career. Her first-career three-RBI game was the fourth multi-RBI performance of her career.
Gabelt now has five homers this season and nine in her career.
Sleith battled to pick up a pair of complete-game wins Sunday. Her 17 strikeouts on the day pushed her past 800 for her career and to the brink of the RMU single-season top 10 list.
Robert Morris is right back in action Monday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. with another league doubleheader against Sacred Heart, contests that are being made up after being postponed this past Saturday.
