Clearwater, Fla. – The
Robert Morris University softball team rallied to take the lead after it had trailed 4-0 after four innings, but the Colonials would fall in the seventh as Seton Hall came away with a 7-6 victory in each team's final game at the USF
Under Armour Showcase on a very warm and sunny Sunday afternoon at the Eddie C. Moore complex.
RMU out-hit an opponent for the third time in the tournament as it tallied 10 hits to the Pirates' eight. Furthermore, five of Seton Hall's base hits did not leave the infield while eight of the Colonials' touched the outfield landscape.
Junior
Ashley Gerhart led RMU offensively as she reached base safely in three of her four plate appearances by going 1-for-2 with a triple, two walks, a RBI, a steal and a run scored. It was her second three-bagger of the tournament and the third of her career.
Sophomore
Jordan Gurganus helped the Colonial cause as she went 2-for-3 with a sacrifice and a run scored. It was her team-leading seventh multi-hit effort of the season and the 20th of her career.
Both sides went in order in the first inning as sophomore
Stacey Capp's fly ball to deep center was the hardest struck ball of the frame.
Freshman
Olivia Lorusso ripped a single into the left center gap to start the top of the second. Gerhart then sent a ground ball to the left side. After a hesitation by the Pirates, Lorusso appeared to beat the force attempt at second, but she was called out. Gerhart would steal second with two outs but would be left there.
Back-to-back walks to open the bottom half followed by a sacrifice gave the Pirates a scoring chance, but consecutive strikeouts snuffed out the opportunity.
Senior
Samantha Santillo legged out an infield single to begin the third inning. A sacrifice by classmate
Alexis Schwartzmiller and a single by Gurganus gave the Colonials runners on the corners with one out, but the next two Colonials grounded out.
Seton Hall, the second BIG EAST program RMU faced this weekend, took the lead in the bottom half. A bunt single and an infield single that deflected off a Colonial glove with two outs gave the Pirates life and a homer to left field would follow. Seton Hall added one more tally on an infield single, a steal, a wild pitch and a controversial illegal pitch call.
Gerhart worked a full count walk and classmate
Haileigh Stocks then ripped a single to left with one away in the fourth, but a long fly out and a groundout ensued.
RMU worked around a leadoff walk in the home half as the next three Pirates were retired.
Robert Morris came roaring to life in the fifth. Gurganus lined a single to right with one out to start things, and Capp followed by sending a single sharply by the dive of the third baseman. A fielder's choice then loaded the bases and Lorusso took a walk to bring in one run. Gerhart then worked a walk on eight pitches after fouling off a pair of full count offerings to bring home Capp. Stocks then delivered a sacrifice fly to right to pull RMU within one before a slight misplay on a grounder by the Pirates tied the game as it allowed junior
Kristen Gabelt to beat a throw to first and Lorusso to touch home.
Seton Hall took a one-out walk in the bottom half, but its next two batters struck out.
Schwartzmiller lined an opposite-field single to start the sixth and moved to second on a sacrifice by Gurganus, but she would be left there.
The Pirates then went down 1-2-3 in the home half.
Gerhart crushed a pitch to the fence in left center and raced into third with a triple with one out in the seventh. One out later, Gabelt came through with a clutch double off the left field fence to give RMU its first lead. Santillo followed by placing a RBI single into right field.
Consecutive infield singles and a sacrifice set the table for the Pirates in the seventh before a single up the middle tied the game. With two outs, a double to right center allowed Seton Hall to claim the win.
Santillo notched her third multi-hit game of the season and the 25th of her career Sunday. Gabelt's two-bagger was her team-leading fifth of the season and the 12th of her career.
Senior
Nicole Sleith tallied 13 strikeouts in a losing effort Sunday. It marked the third time in her last four starts that she has hit double figures in that category. She now has seven such performances this season, and 21 in her career, as she is presently on pace to break the single-season school record for strikeouts.
With 24 hits in the first 18 games, Gurganus is currently on pace to exactly match RMU's single-season hits record that was set 10 years ago.
The Colonials will take part in their final tournament of the season next weekend when they play five games March 13-15 at the Miami Invitational.
