Cleveland, Ohio – The
Robert Morris University softball team jumped out to early leads in both its games and used that cushion to its advantage as the Colonials won twice on the opening day of their season Saturday inside the dome at the CSU Dome Invitational.
RMU topped Morehead State, 8-0, in six innings, in its opener, before holding on to a 7-5 victory over Niagara to close the day.
The Colonials hit .379 as a team and reached base in over 45 percent of their plate appearances Saturday. RMU, which posted six doubles on the day, had its leadoff batter reach in eight of 12 innings and only went in order once all day.
Meanwhile, freshman
Kaitlin Ellzy was splendid in the circle in her first collegiate action. The rookie spun a three-hit shutout with five strikeouts in the opener before allowing a lone run in 3.2 innings of relief in the nightcap. Ellzy did not walk or hit a batter across her 9.2 innings of work Saturday.
Junior
Stacey Capp was one of four Colonials who notched at least four hits on the day. She went 4-for-7 with three doubles and three RBI. She contributed the first three-hit game of her career in the nightcap, an effort that was also her first outing with multiple extra-base hits in the same game.
Senior
Ashley Gerhart went 4-for-6 with a walk, three RBI, three runs and a steal on her final opening day. She posted a pair of multi-hit efforts, giving her 39 in her career. She added a multi-RBI outing against Niagara, the 16th of her career.
RMU sprinted out of the gate in both games Saturday, and junior
Jordan Gurganus got the line moving in both contests.
Gurganus singled to short to open the season against Morehead State. Redshirt freshman
Kristen Pray then put down a sacrifice but reached on an error before Gerhart and classmate
Kristen Gabelt delivered back-to-back RBI singles. Senior
Lauren Hackett then walked before classmate
Haileigh Stocks ripped a two-run double into the opposite field gap. After an error and an out, Ellzy walked and Gurganus followed with her second hit of the inning, this time plating a run with her knock.
Ellzy retired the side in order in the bottom of the first on a groundout, a strikeout and a fly out.
Gerhart singled to open the second frame but would be left at second base.
Ellzy got the first two in the home half via a groundout and a nice diving stab by Gurganus. The Eagles got their first runner with a two-out single, but Ellzy got the next batter to ground out.
Ellzy walked with two away in the third and Gurganus singled to put two on base, but a groundout ended the chance.
Morehead State went in order in the third on a pair of groundouts and a strikeout.
The Colonials would add some insurance in the fourth as Gerhart was hit by a pitch to start things off. After an error, a sacrifice and a groundout, sophomore
Olivia Lorusso walked to load the bases. Capp then came through by shooting a two-run double to right center on a full count.
A one-out single would be the Eagles' lone runner of the fourth as Ellzy then got a strikeout and a lineout.
The top of the fifth was the only time RMU went in order on the day. Ellzy worked around a two-out single in the fifth by getting the next batter to ground out.
A leadoff double by Gabelt in the sixth followed by singles from Hackett and Lorusso brought home an additional run for Robert Morris.
Ellzy retired the side in order to close out the game on a groundout, a fly out and a strikeout. The rookie needed only 77 pitches to earn her first collegiate win.
Gurganus posted the sixth three-hit game of her career in the opener while Gabelt scored three runs in a contest for the first time in her career. Stocks contributed the eighth multi-RBI performance of her career Saturday and became the second active Colonial to reach 50 RBI in a career.
Freshman
Lacee Collins retired Niagara in order on a trio of groundouts to begin RMU's second game.
Gurganus began the bottom half with a single and promptly stole second. After an out, Gerhart put RMU on top with a single. Gabelt then singled before a Purple Eagle miscue brought home a pair of runs. After a sharp lineout by Stocks, Hackett and Lorusso executed a double steal to plate a run for the Colonials. Capp then roped a double to left center to bring home Lorusso.
Niagara didn't wait long to battle back in the second inning as the Purple Eagles scored three times with two outs thanks to four hits and a walk.
RMU took the momentum right back in the home half as Gurganus started things with a single and then stole second. Pray then singled before Gerhart delivered a run with a base hit. After an out, Hackett doubled home Pray by knocking a hit into left center.
Collins retired Niagara in order in the third on two groundouts and a lineout to center on which Gerhart made a nice, sliding grab.
Capp drilled a ground-rule double to left to begin the home half. With two down, Pray walked and stole second, but both runners would be stranded.
The Purple Eagles used a walk, a double and a groundout to plate a single run in the fourth.
Gabelt grounded a single into left to begin the bottom half, and Hackett sacrificed her over, but RMU failed to score.
Ellzy worked around a one-out single in the fifth by striking out the next two batters she faced.
Capp singled to center with one down in the bottom of the fifth but would left at second base.
Niagara threatened in the sixth as a single and a double put two in scoring position with one out. However, Ellzy dug in and got a popup on the infield and a routine groundout to keep Niagara off the board in the frame.
Gerhart worked a full count walk with one away in the home half and then stole second, but she was left on base.
The Purple Eagles refused to go quietly as they used four singles, the final one of which rebounded off the roof, to score one run. With the bases loaded and one out, Ellzy got a three-pitch strikeout and handled a groundout herself to end the drama.
Gurganus' pair of multi-hit games gave her 34 in her career while Gabelt now owns 24 in her career after two on Saturday.
Stocks' two-bagger in RMU's opening game Saturday gave her 27 in her career, moving her into a tie for seventh all-time at RMU.
The Colonials won both games on their opening day of the season for the third consecutive season. This is just the second time in the past two decades in which RMU scored 15 combined runs in its first two games of the season.
Robert Morris will close play in the tournament Sunday by facing the host Vikings and Bowling Green.
