Softball | 3/19/2016 4:13:00 PM
Box Score 1 |
Box Score 3 Greensboro, N.C. – The
Robert Morris University softball team suffered a pair of setbacks Saturday as it closed play in the Blue/Gold Challenge at a cloudy, and sometimes rainy, UNCG Softball Stadium.
RMU fell to both Northern Illinois and host UNCG in five innings by identical 8-0 scores.
Junior
Jordan Gurganus was the Colonials' top offensive weapon as she finished a combined 4-for-6 with a triple. She posted a pair of multi-hit efforts to give her a team-leading 16 on the season and 48 in her career.
Senior
Lauren Hackett went 2-for-4 with a double Saturday, contributing her third two-bagger of the season and the 15th of her career.
Gurganus began the opening game against Northern Illinois with a well-struck single on a low liner. She was promptly sacrificed to second by classmate
Stacey Capp, but she would be left there after a popup and a strikeout.
A Colonial miscue gave the Huskies their only baserunner of the home half.
Hackett lined a single down the left field line to open the second inning, but a fielder's choice, a fly out and a groundout then followed.
A leadoff double and a single that snuck through the infield two batters later brought home the game's first run in the home half of the second.
Gurganus singled on a line to center with one away in the third, but she would not advance.
NIU broke the game open in the bottom half as it used four hits and a walk to score four times.
Hackett roped a double to the fence in left field with two outs in the fourth, and then heavier rain forced a delay. Once the teams resumed play 59 minutes later, a nine-pitch at bat by a Colonial ended in a strikeout.
RMU set down the Huskies in order in the home half on a strikeout, a foul out and a groundout.
A Northern Illinois error and a lined single to center by redshirt freshman
Kristen Pray opened the fifth for RMU. However, a fly out to deep left center, a popup and a groundout then ensued.
NIU finished the game in the bottom half by using a pair of home runs to open up an eight-run advantage.
Hackett notched her second multi-hit game of the month and the ninth of her career against the Huskies.
Unfortunately for the Colonials, their second game of the day would follow a similar script.
Gurganus opened the contest by ripping a triple into the right field corner. Two outs later, senior
Ashley Gerhart took a walk to put runners on the corners, but RMU was unable to break through.
UNCG jumped on top right away in the bottom half as it scored four times, two of which were unearned. Five singles, a steal and a dropped third strike helped the Spartans pull ahead.
After RMU went in order in the second, a pair of long balls added three tallies to the lead for the hosts.
Gurganus singled with one away in the third, and she moved to second with two down, but she would be left there.
A leadoff single, a sacrifice and a two-out single up the middle gave UNCG its final run in the third.
A two-out single to left by the Spartans provided the only baserunner of the fourth inning.
Senior
Haileigh Stocks led off the fifth with a single to left, but a fielder's choice, a strikeout and a groundout would follow.
Gurganus, who surpassed 150 career hits Saturday, contributed her second triple in the last two weekends and the seventh of her career against the Spartans.
Saturday marked the final day of regular-season tournament play for the Colonials in 2016. RMU will resume action this Wednesday, March 23, with a doubleheader at Penn State.
Schedule Note: Robert Morris' scheduled games against George Washington Saturday and Sunday had been canceled earlier when it was deemed no games would take place Sunday and the schedule was subsequently reworked.
