Boca Raton, Fla. – Freshman
Kaitlin Ellzy spun a one-hitter to help the
Robert Morris University softball team shock No. 17/19 Minnesota with a 4-1 victory Friday evening at the Parents' Weekend Tournament at a humid FAU Softball Stadium.
RMU had dropped its first game of the day to UMass, 2-0.
Ellzy was brilliant against a Golden Gopher squad that won three games in the NCAA Tournament a year ago. She went the distance and allowed a lone hit, a single, and one unearned run. Minnesota entered Friday hitting .318 as a team and averaging over six runs per game, but the rookie was not fazed as she used her defense by racking up 15 ground ball outs for the second straight game.
Junior
Jordan Gurganus was frequently on base Friday as she finished a combined 6-for-8 with two stolen bases and a run scored. She contributed a pair of 3-for-4 efforts, giving her six three-hit outings this season and 11 in her career.
Freshman
Laura Coulter had her best outing of the season thus far but was the tough-luck loser in RMU's opening game Friday. She notched her first career complete game and yielded two runs, only one of which was earned.
UMass put up an early run against RMU, and even though the Colonials had baserunners in six of the seven frames, they could not push one across.
A hit batter, a walk, a groundout and a sacrifice fly plated a run for UMass in the top of the first.
Gurganus singled to begin the bottom half, but consecutive ground balls led to force outs before a fly ball to left ended the inning.
UMass had a leadoff single in the second, and sacrificed its runner to second, but Coulter induced a popup on the infield and handled a groundout herself to strand the runner.
RMU got a runner to third with one out in the second after some shaky UMass defense, but a pair of groundouts would follow.
UMass loaded the bases with one out on a pair of singles and a walk in the third. However, Coulter then leapt to snare a ground ball in the circle and fired to the plate where senior
Lauren Hackett helped turn a 1-2-3 double play.
Gurganus singled to center with one away in the third, and promptly stole second, but a foul out and a groundout ensued.
Coulter worked around a one-out double in the fourth by getting the next two batters to ground out.
Sophomore
Olivia Lorusso shot a single to center with one out in the fourth. She would move to second on a passed ball with two outs and to third on a wild pitch, but a groundout kept UMass in front.
A two-out miscue by RMU in the fifth was no harm as Coulter got the next batter to foul out to Hackett.
Gurganus dropped down a bunt single with two outs in the home half, and again quickly stole second, but a lineout to short ended the chance.
A one-out walk and a two-out single to left appeared to give UMass a chance in the sixth. However, the lead runner attempted to move to third on the single, and redshirt freshman
Kristen Pray fired a throw right to the third base bag to catch the runner trying to take an extra base.
A pair of errors by UMass gave the Colonials an opening in the home half. Lorusso then ripped a hot shot liner to the left side that would have tied the game if it didn't find the third baseman's glove. Both runners advanced into scoring position on a groundout, but with two outs, a groundout to short kept UMass on top.
A two-out bunt single, a RMU miscue, and a soft single to left gave UMass an insurance run in the seventh.
RMU was unable to mount a rally in the bottom half as it went in order.
While the Colonials had a rough start to the day, they rebounded in fine fashion against a Big Ten powerhouse in their second game of the evening.
Gurganus singled to center to begin the game, and would move to second and then third on groundouts, but a strikeout was the third out.
Ellzy worked around a two-out walk in the bottom half by then getting a ground ball on which the lead runner was forced.
The Golden Gophers committed a two-out error in the second, and Pray was then hit by a pitch to put a pair of runners on base, but a strikeout ended the threat.
Ellzy retired the side in order in the second on a strikeout, a 3-4 out on a bunt and a groundout to second.
Gurganus singled to center to open the third, and Hackett promptly sacrificed her to second base. Senior
Kristen Gabelt then crushed a triple off the fence in center field to put the Colonials on top. After an eight-pitch strikeout, Gabelt hustled home to score on a wild pitch.
A miscue by the Colonials opened the bottom of the third inning, but Ellzy dug in as she retired the next three batters on a strikeout, a groundout and a lineout to left.
RMU went in order in the fourth on a pair of groundouts and a line out to the pitcher.
Ellzy worked around a two-out walk in the home half by getting a popup to second.
Junior
Stacey Capp singled to left to start the fifth inning. After a groundout moved her to second, Hackett lined a sharp single to the opposite field to score her teammate.
Minnesota again took a two-out walk in the fifth, but Ellzy got the next batter to ground out to second.
Stocks laced a double that rolled up the gap in right center with one out in the sixth. After a strikeout, Pray singled to put runners at the corners. Capp then delivered a two-out RBI with a single to center. Gurganus followed with her own single up the middle to load the bases, but a popup left the sacks full.
The Golden Gophers broke up the no-hit bid to start the sixth with a grounder up the middle into center. A RMU error followed to put two runners on base, but Ellzy kept her cool. The rookie got consecutive groundouts, which would plate Minnesota's only run. With two outs and a runner on third, Pray handled a fly ball in left field to keep the Golden Gophers from pulling closer.
The Colonials went in order in the seventh on a popup, a lineout and a strikeout.
Ellzy avoided drama in the seventh by retiring Minnesota in order. She got a groundout to short, a popup to first and a groundout to third to complete the noteworthy victory.
Ellzy became the first player to allow one hit or fewer in a complete-game effort against Minnesota in nearly two years.
Gurganus' outings Friday gave her a team-leading 12 multi-hit games this season and 44 in her career.
Stocks' double was her fifth of the season and the 30th of her career, moving her into sole possession of fourth place all-time at RMU.
Gabelt's triple was her first of the season and the fourth of her career. Capp posted her third multi-hit effort of 2016 in the win and also tied Lorusso for the team lead with six assists against Minnesota.
The win over Minnesota was RMU's first against a nationally ranked foe since it defeated No. 22 Virginia Tech in its 2008 season opener behind a complete-game effort from
Brenna Reed.
RMU concludes play in the event Saturday with a pair of games against Mercer and Rutgers.
