Loretto, Pa. – The
Robert Morris University softball team clinched the outright Northeast Conference regular-season title Saturday afternoon with a 4-3, come-from-behind, win at Saint Francis in each team's regular-season finale in an intense affair at a partly sunny Red Flash Field.
After dropping the opening game of the doubleheader in eight innings, 6-5, RMU turned the tables in the nightcap as senior
Samantha Santillo blasted a two-run homer in the sixth inning that turned a deficit into a Colonial lead for good.
By winning the regular-season title with a 13-3 mark, Robert Morris earned the right to host the upcoming NEC Tournament. The event will be held at the North Athletic Complex May 7-9. RMU has now finished in first place in the league in four of the past five seasons.
While it was at the top of the list, the Colonials' first-place finish wasn't the only reason for celebration Saturday as senior
Nicole Sleith continued to rewrite the RMU record book. She combined to tally 21 strikeouts against the Red Flash, and, in the process, broke the program's single-season record in that category. Sleith's final strikeout of the day, which finished the game and assured RMU of first place, was the 281st of her season, moving her one clear of current RMU assistant coach
Erica List.
In addition to nailing what proved to be the game-winning long ball, Santillo finished a combined 3-for-6 on the afternoon. Her 10th career home run doubled as her 125th career hit. She notched her sixth multi-hit game of the season in the nightcap, the 28th of her career, while also posting her fifth multi-RBI effort of 2015, the 19th of her career.
Sophomore
Jordan Gurganus was quite productive for RMU against Saint Francis as she reached safely in five of her eight plate appearances. She finished 4-for-7 with a walk while scoring a pair of runs. She notched multi-hit efforts in both contests, giving her 18 for the season and 31 in her career. She moved into a tie for eighth in single-season hits at RMU (59) Saturday.
The opening game Saturday was a back-and-forth affair that was not decided in regulation length.
Gurganus dropped a single into center to lead off the game, and moved to second one out later, but she would be left there.
Each of the next two half-innings went in order.
Saint Francis took a pair of walks to create a chance in the home half of the second, but Sleith got consecutive strikeouts to keep the game scoreless.
Santillo singled sharply to left to open the third. One out later, a Red Flash error put two runners in scoring position. Junior
Ashley Gerhart followed by working a seven-pitch walk to load the bases, but the hard line drive that followed, unfortunately for the Colonials, was turned into a double play.
Saint Francis struck first by putting together three singles to open the bottom half. Sleith minimized the damage by striking out three of the next four batters to leave the bases loaded.
Senior
Tess Apke ripped a double into the opposite-field gap to begin the fourth. One out later, a Red Flash miscue put runners on the corners. Apke would then race home and tie the game as the hosts made a play on the trail runner.
Saint Francis would retake the lead in the bottom half, scoring twice on three singles and a walk.
Sophomore
Stacey Capp got a RMU rally started in the fifth by working a full count walk. Gurganus followed by drawing a walk as well. With two outs, junior
Kristen Gabelt drilled a 2-2 offering over the fence in right center to push RMU into the lead.
Saint Franics would tie the game in the home half with a solo homer but left the potential go-ahead run on base.
A Red Flash error accounted for the lone baserunner of the sixth inning.
Gurganus singled with one away in the seventh but RMU would not take advantage.
Sleith struck out the side in order in the bottom half to send the game to extra frames.
Apke drove a lined shot to the fence in left center in the eighth for a one-out double. With two down, senior
Alexis Schwartzmiller traded places with her classmate as she drove a ball off the fence in right field.
An infield single, a walk and a two-out single off the glove of a diving Colonial tied the game in the home half. The winning run would come home to score when the next batter hit a grounder to the left side, into the path of a baserunner, that wasn't handled cleanly.
Apke posted her 16th multi-hit outing of the season, the 48th of her career, in the opener while contributing multiple extra-base hits in a game on the second straight day that RMU competed. Schwartzmiller's two-bagger was her seventh of the season and the 14th of her career.
Despite suffering a tough loss in the opener, the Colonials did not give in even after falling behind in the nightcap.
RMU started the second game well as Gurganus and Gerhart singled to open the game before Gabelt was hit with a pitch. Apke followed with a sacrifice fly to center to bring home one run, but RMU would not get any more.
Sleith worked around a two-out walk in the bottom half by striking out the next batter.
Freshman
Olivia Lorusso began the second inning with a single but would not move any further.
A two-out single in the home half for Saint Francis was no matter for Sleith as she got the next batter to ground out.
Gurganus and Gerhart posted back-to-back singles to start the third, but the Colonials were unable to bring them around.
Saint Francis used two doubles and a two-out single to take the lead in the bottom half.
Santillo singled to left with two down in the fourth but would not move up.
With two away in the home half, the Red Flash used a double followed by a single to add an insurance run.
Both teams went in order in the fifth.
Gabelt singled to center to begin the sixth. One out later, Schwartzmiller sent a single back through the middle to put two on base. After a passed ball, Lorusso picked up a RBI with a groundout. With two outs, Santillo came through on her birthday by clearing the fence in right center to give the Colonials the lead.
Sleith did not mess around after Santillo's blast as she retired each of the final six batters. She struck out three, including the game's final batter, while getting two infield popups and a groundout.
The complete-game win in the nightcap was the 77th victory of Sleith's career, moving her into a tie for the all-time RMU record in that category. Her 11th double-figure strikeout effort of the season, which came in the opener, allowed her to pass 900 strikeouts in her career. She now has 25 double-digit strikeout performances in her career.
Gabelt's blast in the opener was her ninth of the season, and 13th of her career, making her just the fifth Colonial ever to hit that many in a campaign. Her fourth three-RBI outing of 2015 was her seventh multi-RBI performance of the season, the 11th of her career.
Apke continued to climb the charts at RMU in a variety of offensive categories Saturday. She moved into fifth in career hits (180) and eighth in runs (96). She also pushed into a tie for seventh in single-season doubles (11) and a tie for ninth for RBI in a season (33).
Gerhart added her 14th multi-hit outing of 2015 in the nightcap, the 37th of her career.
This first-place finish marks the eighth for Robert Morris in the 21 seasons that the NEC has played a full round-robin schedule.
RMU will host the four-team, three-day, double elimination tournament beginning Thursday.
Robert Morris will begin postseason play against LIU Brooklyn, who enters on a league high, five-game NEC winning streak, Thursday, May 7, at a time to be announced.
