Hackensack, N.J. – The
Robert Morris University softball team became the first program this season to clinch a berth in the Northeast Conference Tournament with its 6-1 win over Fairleigh Dickinson in the opening game of a doubleheader Saturday afternoon at a mostly sunny and cool FDU Softball Field.
RMU would drop the nightcap against the Knights, 2-1, after it had already clinched a spot in the postseason for the seventh time in eight years.
It was a team effort that allowed Robert Morris to lock up its spot as the visitors collected 12 hits in the game with every Colonial reaching base safely during the contest.
Senior
Tess Apke was one of the offensive leaders for RMU Saturday as she finished 3-for-7 with a homer, a double and two RBI. She notched her 14th multi-hit outing of the season, the 46th of her career, in the opener while adding her fifth homer of 2015, the 24th of her career. Apke, who added an outfield assist Saturday, moved into sole possession of third place in career RBI (96) by a Colonial with her effort against the Knights.
Senior
Alexis Schwartzmiller led Robert Morris in hits Saturday as she went 4-for-7 with a RBI, a steal and a run scored. She contributed a career-high three hits in the opener, which allowed her to post her eighth multi-hit outing of the season and the 14th of her career.
Senior
Nicole Sleith was strong in the circle and earned her 75th career win in the process. She went the distance in both affairs and allowed a combined seven hits while striking out 19 against two walks. Her 10 strikeouts in the opener allowed her to collect her 10th double-figure strikeout effort of the season, the 24th of her career.
Robert Morris had a number of scoring chances in the opener, and when it finally broke through it continued to add on to its lead.
Junior
Ashley Gerhart singled with one away in the first, and classmate
Haileigh Stocks followed by working a full count walk to put two on base. After a second out, Apke singled to load the bases. With two down, an eight-pitch at bat ended in a hard grounder that turned into a fielder's choice.
Sleith retired the Knights in order in the bottom half on a pair of swinging strikeouts and a foul out on the infield.
Schwartzmiller led off the second with the first of her three hits. Senior
Samantha Santillo followed with a hard line drive, but unfortunately for the guests, it was turned into a double play by FDU. Sophomore
Stacey Capp restarted things with an opposite-field single to right. Classmate
Jordan Gurganus then singled and stole second to put two in scoring position, but a seven-pitch at bat ended in a strikeout by the following batter.
Sleith retried Fairleigh Dickinson 1-2-3 in the home half on two groundouts, one of which she handled herself, and a foul out down the right field line.
Junior
Kristen Gabelt singled to left with one away in the third. After a second out, freshman
Olivia Lorusso worked a key walk as she fouled off six pitches to take a base on balls on the 11th pitch she saw. Schwartzmiller then plated the game's first run with a single to left center before Santillo shot an opposite-field double to bring home two more.
Each of the next two half-innings was of the 1-2-3 variety.
Sleith worked around a two-out miscue in the fourth by striking out the next batter swinging.
Gabelt led off the fifth by taking a walk, and Apke followed by blasting a moonshot well over the bleachers in left field. Santillo picked up her second double in as many at bats two outs later, driving a pitch off the fence in left, but she would not come all the way around.
FDU picked up its first hit of the game with one away in the bottom half, but Sleith struck out the next two batters on a combined six pitches.
Stocks would add one final insurance tally in the sixth with a long ball to almost dead center.
Fairleigh Dickinson broke up the shutout bid with a solo shot with one out in the bottom half. The Knights would use two singles to try and score further in the frame, but a fielder's choice closed the chance.
Schwartzmiller singled to center with two outs in the seventh but would not advance.
Sleith sealed the playoff spot by retiring the side in order in the bottom half by registering two strikeouts sandwiched around a groundout.
Apke's multi-RBI effort was her seventh of 2015, the 25th of her career, while her homer was her fourth in her past 15 games. Santillo posted a pair of two-baggers in a game for the second time this season, giving her eight for the campaign and 20 in her career.
Robert Morris grabbed an early lead in the second game but was unable to add on as FDU won in its final at bat.
Stocks singled with two away in the top of the first inning and hustled home when Gabelt followed by driving a double into the right center gap.
Sleith worked around a one-out walk in the bottom half by retiring the next two batters.
Both teams went in order in the second inning with four of the six batters going down by way of the K.
After RMU went in order in the third, Sleith worked around a two-out miscue in the bottom half by striking out the following batter on three pitches.
The Colonials could not generate any offense in the fourth, and FDU tied it in the bottom half. A leadoff infield single was followed by a sacrifice. After a strikeout, a full count walk extended the inning. The next batter lined a double to right to tie the game. However, FDU also tried to score its trail runner on the play, but Apke hit the cutoff, and Schwartzmiller rifled to the plate in time to secure the third out.
Apke drove a full count pitch into right center to start the fifth with a double. One out later, Schwartzmiller lined a single to left to put runners on the corners, but consecutive popups on the infield followed.
Sleith struck out the side in order in the bottom half, getting all three Knights swinging.
Gerhart lined a one-out double to right center in the sixth, but the 10-pitch at bat that followed ended in a groundout before a popup was the third out.
FDU's two-hitter began the bottom half with her first home run of the season to put the Knights on top.
Robert Morris was unable to mount a rally in the seventh inning as it went down in order, suffering its first league setback of 2015.
Sleith, who is two wins shy of equaling RMU's career wins mark, moved into fourth place in single-season strikeouts at Robert Morris (248) Saturday.
Apke contributed her ninth double of 2015 in the nightcap, which was the 33rd of her career, moving into sole possession of second place in RMU history. Gerhart and Gabelt collected the 17th and 16th doubles of their careers, respectively.
Santillo's multi-hit game in the opener was her fifth of the season and 27th of her career. She also posted her fourth multi-RBI outing of 2015, the 18th of her career.
Stocks' long ball in the first game was her second of the season and the ninth of her career.
When the dust settled at the end of Saturday, RMU was guaranteed one of the top three seeds in the NEC Tournament.
Robert Morris will continue league play Sunday as the two teams tied for first in the NEC will battle in a doubleheader as the Colonials take on Central Connecticut State at Noon.
