Greensboro, N.C. – The
Robert Morris University softball team rallied from a three-run deficit to tie the game, but host UNCG won it in the seventh with a RBI single to claim a 6-5 victory at the Blue/Gold Challenge Friday afternoon on a gorgeous day at UNCG Softball Stadium.
RMU had dropped the opening game of the day to Northern Illinois, 9-0, in five innings.
A trio of Colonials contributed multi-hit efforts against the host Spartans as Robert Morris banged out 10 hits. Senior
Haileigh Stocks and juniors
Jordan Gurganus and
Stacey Capp all notched a pair of hits against UNCG while sophomore
Olivia Lorusso blasted a home run.
Freshman
Lacee Collins pitched effectively in relief against UNCG as she allowed a lone unearned run in 3.1 innings of work. She also notched her first collegiate hit, a lined single to left.
RMU held off Northern Illinois for a couple innings in its opener Friday, but the Huskies eventually broke through.
A pair of walks gave NIU an opening in the top of the first, but the next three batters hit into outs on the ground. RMU would go in order in the bottom half.
NIU took a one-out walk in the second, but the Colonials turned a nice 1-6-3 double play to keep the game tied.
Senior
Ashley Gerhart singled to center to begin the bottom half. Lorusso then put down a bunt and reached when the Huskies unsuccessfully tried to throw out the lead runner. After a fielder's choice was the first out, RMU appeared to place a single into left, but the lead runner was thrown out on a force after waiting to see if the ball would fall in. A groundout to third would leave a pair on base.
A patient approach paid off for Northern Illinois in the third as four walks, two singles and a sacrifice fly plated five runs. NIU would put the game away in the fourth after the Colonials went in order in the third. Two walks and two hits, including a homer, added four tallies for the Huskies in the fourth.
Senior
Kristen Gabelt walked to begin the bottom half, and a miscue followed to put two on base. After two outs, senior
Lauren Hackett singled to left to load the bases, but a fly out to left field left the sacks full.
Freshman
Laura Coulter struck out the side in the fifth to help keep NIU off the board, but Robert Morris went in order in the bottom half to close the proceedings.
RMU's second game was a back-and-forth affair, but the Spartans had the last laugh.
Capp shot a single into left with one out in the top of the first, but the junior was caught stealing to end the inning.
A leadoff home run to center put the hosts on top in the bottom half. Two hits and a walk with one out loaded the bases, but an infield fly out and a foul out would follow to keep the margin at one.
Gerhart was nailed by a pitch to begin the second, and Hackett followed with a sacrifice to move her along. Stocks then singled to put a pair on base, but a fly out and a groundout would follow.
A leadoff double and a sacrifice put a Spartan on third with one away in the bottom half, but a fly out to right and a groundout to short prevented the runner from scoring.
Coulter singled to left to begin the third, her first-career hit, and Gurganus followed with a bunt single. After Capp moved both runners with a sacrifice, Gabelt notched a RBI groundout to tie the game. Gerhart then put RMU on top with a RBI single before a lineout ended the frame.
UNCG pulled right back ahead in the bottom half as it scored four times, the final three of which were unearned. It used three hits and a Colonial miscue to reclaim the lead.
Lorusso launched a 1-0 pitch well over the fence in center with one out in the fourth to pull the Colonials closer.
Collins worked around a leadoff walk in the bottom half by getting a fielder's choice, a soft lineout to short and a groundout to third.
Gurganus singled to center to start the fifth and Capp then nailed a double to the fence in left to put two on base. After one out, a Spartan error brought home a run. Hackett then delivered a fly ball very deep to right center to tie the game with a sacrifice fly. Stocks kept the rally going with a single to put runners on the corners, but a popup kept the game tied.
A Colonial miscue and a one-out single put runners on the corners in the bottom half, but Collins struck out the next batter looking before Capp smoothly handled a grounder to end the threat.
Collins lined a single to left with one away in the sixth. She would move to second on a wild pitch but would be left there.
A leadoff single and a soft two-out single gave the Spartans an opening in the sixth, but a groundout to second kept the game tied.
After Robert Morris went in order in the seventh, the Spartans used a one-out hit batter and a Colonial miscue to start something in the home half. After a wild pitch, a single to center would let the hosts walk away with a victory.
Gurganus' multi-hit game was her team-leading 14th of the season, and 46th of her career, while Stocks' was her third of 2016 and the 21st of her career.
Capp notched her team-leading sixth double of the season, and ninth of her career, as part of her fifth multi-hit outing of 2016.
Lorusso's long ball was her second of the campaign and the sixth of her career.
RMU is scheduled to conclude the event Saturday with rematches against both the Huskies and the Spartans.
