Youngstown, Ohio – The
Robert Morris University softball team dropped a doubleheader at Youngstown State Tuesday at a mostly sunny, but cool, YSU Softball Field.
The Penguins took the first game, 8-0 in six innings, before closing out the sweep with an 8-2 victory.
Senior
Lauren Hackett and redshirt freshman
Kristen Pray tied for the team lead in hits on the day as each went 3-for-5 over the two games.
Senior
Ashley Gerhart went 2-for-6 with a RBI double against the Penguins as she continued to climb her way up in multiple career categories at RMU. The local product reached 165 career hits Tuesday, moving her into the RMU career top 10 and tying her with assistant coach
Keri Meyer.
Youngstown State jumped ahead early in the opening game and did not relent.
The only baserunner for either team in the first inning came via a one-out walk for the Penguins, but they did not pull ahead quite yet.
Gerhart led off the second with a single to center, and Hackett promptly sacrificed her to second, but the Colonials were unable to plate the senior.
YSU would pull ahead in the bottom half with three singles, a walk, a fielder's choice RBI and a wild pitch.
RMU had a promising start to the third as senior
Haileigh Stocks and Pray singled consecutively. However, the next three Colonials were unable to continue the rally and bring home a run.
A two-out bloop single was all the Penguins would notch in the bottom half.
Hackett sent a bounding single into left with two outs in the fourth but would not advance.
Some shaky Colonial defense helped the Penguins add to their lead in the home half. Multiple RMU miscues allowed Youngstown State to score four runs on just two hits in the frame.
Pray singled with one away in the fifth but would not move further along.
Youngstown State loaded the bases with one out in the home half on two singles and a RMU error. However, the Colonials were able to force the lead runner at the plate for the second out before a groundout ended the frame.
After Robert Morris went in order in the sixth, YSU ended the game in the home half by scoring a run on two infield singles, an error and a passed ball.
RMU was able to grab a lead in the nightcap, but the Penguins came roaring back in the middle innings.
After the Colonials went in order in the first, YSU used a pair of hits and a sacrifice fly to score a single run in the home half.
Stocks singled to center with two down in the second, and Pray then reached on a soft liner on the infield. Junior
Stacey Capp then shot a low liner into center to plate the senior before a groundout ended the inning.
Robert Morris retired YSU in order in the second, thanks in part to a nice reaching grab by Pray up against the fence.
After a sharp liner turned into the first out of the third inning, Hackett knocked a single to center. With two down, Gerhart launched a pitch to the fence in left center to bring home her classmate with a RBI double. Sophomore
Olivia Lorusso was then hit by a pitch to put two aboard, but a fly out kept RMU's lead at one.
The Penguins went 1-2-3 in the home half as Lorusso made a nice stab of hard-hit line drive.
Pray led off the fourth with a single and would eventually reach third base, but she was left there.
A walk, an infield single and a RMU error were followed by a home run that just cleared the fence in right center as YSU jumped back on top in the bottom of the fourth.
Hackett singled to left to open the fifth and would get to third with two outs, but she would not come all the way around.
YSU used a pair of singles and a double steal to tack on one run in the bottom half.
Robert Morris went in order in each of its final two turns at bat. Youngstown State used four hits to score its last two runs in the sixth to set the final score.
Hackett notched her third multi-hit game of the season in the nightcap, the 10th of her career. Pray posted the third multi-hit outing of her rookie season in the opening game Tuesday.
Gerhart's double was her fifth of the season and the 22nd of her career. Her career total moved her into the RMU career top 10 in that category and tied her with assistant coach
Erica List.
Robert Morris will be right back in action Wednesday as it plays its home opener as part of a doubleheader against Kent State at 3:00 p.m.
