Moon Township, Pa. – Seniors
Tess Apke and
Nicole Sleith led the
Robert Morris University softball team to a Northeast Conference sweep, its second in as many days, as the Colonials came out on top in a pair of contests against Sacred Heart Monday afternoon at a windy North Athletic Complex.
RMU cruised to a 9-1 victory in five innings in the opener before holding on to claim a 2-0 win in the nightcap.
Sleith was brilliant in the circle for the Colonials as she allowed zero earned runs while going the distance in both affairs. She twirled a one-hitter in the opener, her first of the season, before spinning a three-hit shutout in the nightcap. Her 17 strikeouts on the afternoon moved her career total to 831, just 10 shy of matching the RMU record. Sleith collected her fifth shutout of the season against the Pioneers and 23rd of her career.
Apke was nearly perfect at the plate as she went a combined 5-for-6 with a home run, a double and six RBI, including a career-best five in the opener, the most by a Colonial in over two years. She moved up in a bevy of career categories at RMU with her efforts. She cracked the career top 10 in hits Monday, sliding into a tie for ninth (165) with her assistant coach
Keri Meyer, and leapt into seventh in career RBI (89). Her team-leading eighth two-bagger was the 32nd of her career, moving her into a tie for second place in Colonial history.
Junior
Kristen Gabelt joined Apke in reaching base safely five times in the twinbill. She was 3-for-5 with a pair of walks, a double, two RBI and two runs scored. She posted her ninth multi-hit game of the season in the opener, and 20th of her career, giving her a multi-hit effort in each of the past three doubleheaders. Gabelt also posted her eighth career multi-RBI outing in the opener, three of which have come on the past four days RMU has played.
Robert Morris jumped on top right away in the opening game to take control from the outset.
Sleith struck out the side in order in the top of the first on 11 pitches to open the game on the right foot.
Sophomore
Jordan Gurganus led off the bottom half with a single. After a sacrifice, a sharp lineout to left, and a Pioneer error, there were two on with two outs for Apke. The veteran delivered a three-run blast to left center, her second straight game with a long ball.
Sleith worked around a Colonial miscue in the second by getting a fly out and a lineout.
Junior
Ashley Gerhart singled to center to start the bottom half. Back-to-back fielder's choices, the second of which came on a sacrifice, loaded the bases. With one out, sophomore
Stacey Capp brought home a run with a groundout, on which the second baseman made a diving play. A two-out single by Gabelt followed to bring home the second run of the frame.
Sleith set down Sacred Heart in order in the third on a lineout, on which Gurganus made a nice reaching stab, a groundout and a strikeout.
Apke lined a single to left with one out in the home half, and freshman
Olivia Lorusso followed by working an eight-pitch walk, but the next two Colonials grounded out.
Sacred Heart scored a run without the benefit of a hit in the fourth as a hit batter combined with some shaky Colonial defense to plate a run for the Pioneers. Sleith would strand two on base by getting a popup on the infield and a swinging strikeout.
Senior
Samantha Santillo smoked a hot shot up the middle to start the bottom half, but the pitcher snared it out of the air. With two away, Capp and Gabelt walked consecutively. Junior
Haileigh Stocks followed with a single to center to bring home one run before Apke ripped a double into the left field corner to score two more.
Sleith worked around a leadoff bloop single by retiring the next three hitters, the final two via strikeout, in the fifth.
Gerhart dropped down a well-placed bunt single to begin the home half. One out later, a Pioneer error and a walk by Gurganus loaded the bases. With two outs, Gabelt put the final nail in the coffin by knocking a single to left to increase the RMU lead to eight runs.
Apke posted her second three-hit game of the season, and sixth of her career, in the opener while also recording her fifth multi-RBI outing of 2015 and the 23rd such performance of her career.
Gerhart notched her second consecutive multi-hit game in the opener, which was her seventh of the season and the 30th of her career.
Eight of the nine Colonials that began the game in the batting order scored a run in the opening contest.
While RMU shortened the opening game, the second contest would remain close throughout.
Sleith handled the Pioneers in the first by getting two strikeouts while Gurganus fielded a bunt cleanly.
The Colonials would get the game's only runs in the home half. Gurganus dropped a single into left to start the frame. One out later, Gabelt nailed a double right down the third base line to put two in scoring position. Stocks followed by doing her job as her sacrifice fly brought home Gurganus. Apke then placed a two-out single into center to bring home Gabelt.
A two-out infield single by Sacred Heart in the second was no bother to Sleith as she got a swinging strikeout to strand the runner.
Senior
Alexis Schwartzmiller singled to left with one away in the bottom half but would not advance.
Each side went down in order in the third inning.
A defensive miscue with one away in the fourth opened the door for Sacred Heart, but Sleith got a groundout and a strikeout from the next two batters.
Apke knocked a single to left to lead off the home half and moved up a base courtesy of a sacrifice by Gerhart, but a fly out and popup followed.
The Pioneers got a runner in scoring position with two away in the fifth with a double, but Sleith struck out a pinch-hitter swinging on a 2-2 pitch.
Gurganus and Gabelt both walked in the home half, putting two on with two out for Robert Morris, but the Colonials would not be able to add on to their lead.
Sacred Heart took a two-out walk in the sixth, but RMU was able to force the lead runner on a ground ball from the next batter.
Gerhart singled with one away in the home half and promptly stole second, but she would be left there.
A leadoff single up the middle in the seventh brought the tying run to the plate for the Pioneers with no outs. Sleith got consecutive groundouts before Santillo located a foul popup not far off the ground and made the catch near home plate to complete the sweep.
Apke's pair of multi-hit games gave her a team-leading 12 on the season and 44 in her career. Monday was the fifth time in her career that she contributed more than one multi-hit outing on the same day. Apke's long ball was her third of 2015 and the 22nd of her career, moving her into sole possession of third place in RMU history.
Gabelt's seventh double of the season, and 14th of her career, stretched her streak of reaching base safely to 14 games.
Sleith's performances Monday helped her push into eighth place on RMU's single-season strikeout list with 195.
RMU's 4-0 start in league play mirrors the start the Colonials had to NEC play two years ago when they posted a first-place finish in the league.
Robert Morris will take a step out of conference play Wednesday afternoon as it hosts a single game against Canisius at 4:30 p.m.
Schedule Note: Canisius and Robert Morris were scheduled for a doubleheader, but the second game has been canceled and will not be made up.
