Moon Township, Pa. – Freshman
Lacee Collins' strong effort in the circle led the
Robert Morris University softball team to a 4-2 victory over St. Bonaventure in its non-conference finale Tuesday evening at a pleasant North Athletic Complex.
RMU had dropped the first game of the doubleheader earlier in the afternoon by a 6-4 tally.
Collins allowed only one earned run against the Bonnies while earning the first seven-inning victory of her rookie season. She did not allow an extra base hit on the day and struck out four batters.
Redshirt freshman
Kristen Pray was the top offensive contributor for RMU Tuesday as she went a combined 4-for-7 with two RBI, a steal and a run scored. Pray posted the fourth and fifth multi-hit efforts of her rookie campaign and also tallied a multi-RBI outing for the first time in her young career.
Freshman
Abrielle McCartney had a solid day at the dish as she was 2-for-5 with a RBI, a sacrifice and two runs scored.
St. Bonaventure jumped out to a big lead in the opening game and held off a RMU comeback effort at the end.
A two-out walk did not amount to anything in the top of the first as the next batter grounded out.
RMU went in order in the home half although a well-struck liner by senior
Lauren Hackett turned into a 1-6-3 putout after deflecting off the pitcher's glove.
The Bonnies had a two-out single in the second, but the next batter struck out swinging.
Sophomore
Olivia Lorusso placed a single into center with one down in the bottom half, and Pray followed with a single to put two runners on base. The next two Colonials hit into outs to end the frame.
St. Bonaventure used five hits, two of which did not leave the infield, and a Colonial error to score four runs in the third inning, two of which were unearned.
McCartney lined a single into right to begin the bottom half, but the next three Colonials hit into outs.
Two singles, a walk and two steals added on two runs for the visitors in the fourth before Robert Morris went down 1-2-3.
The Bonnies loaded the bases with no outs in the fifth on two singles and a walk, but freshman
Laura Coulter worked out of trouble by getting a strikeout, a popup on the infield and a fly ball to right.
Junior
Stacey Capp singled to begin the bottom half and moved to third when the Bonnies committed an error with the next batter up. McCartney then drove in a run with a RBI fielder's choice. With two outs, Hackett kept the rally going by shooting a RBI double to the fence in right center to score McCartney. Senior
Kristen Gabelt then blasted an 0-1 pitch well over the fence in left to bring RMU within two.
St. Bonaventure had a leadoff infield single in the sixth, but Coulter retired the next three Bonnies.
Pray singled with one down in the sixth, and a Bonnie error then put two runners on base. However, a strikeout and a groundout followed to end the chance.
A pair of Bonnies reached in the seventh, but Coulter handled a groundout to strand both. RMU was unable to mount a final comeback chance in the home half of the seventh.
Coulter allowed two runs in 4.1 innings of relief for RMU. Hackett's double was her fifth of the season and the 17th of her career.
RMU scored first in the nightcap and never trailed en route to the win.
The Bonnies began the game with a bunt single, but Hackett then fired down to Capp to catch the runner trying to steal. Collins worked around a second infield single by getting a groundout to second.
Pray singled to center to begin the home half. She took second on a wild pitch, advanced to third on a sacrifice by Gabelt and came home to score when senior
Haileigh Stocks hit a sacrifice fly plenty deep enough to left. Senior
Ashley Gerhart followed with a single to keep the rally going, but RMU would not score further.
St. Bonaventure got two on with two out in the second, but Collins got a grounder to third to end the chance.
McCartney singled to center to lead off the second. She would move to second base with two outs on a sacrifice by freshman
Taylor Bartlow, but a lineout ended the frame.
An infield single, a steal and a single to center by the Bonnies tied the game in the third although Collins stranded the go-ahead run at third by getting a fly ball to right.
Stocks singled to left with two outs in the home half but would not advance.
A one-out walk for SBU did not lead to anything in the fourth as a fielder's choice and a strikeout followed.
Lorusso took a walk to start the bottom half, and then the Bonnies did not cleanly field McCartney's sacrifice bunt. Capp then got down a squeeze to score Lorusso and move McCartney to third. Bartlow followed with a walk, and then Pray delivered an insurance run with a RBI groundout. Hackett worked a full count walk to put a pair on base, but a lineout to center brought the inning to a close.
A walk and a two-out infield single gave the Bonnies an opening in the fifth, but Collins got a fly ball to center to close the opportunity.
After RMU went in order in the home half, the Bonnies registered a leadoff single in the sixth. Collins retired the next three batters, though, on two groundouts and a fly out to left.
Bartlow ripped a double to the fence in left center with two down in the sixth, the first extra-base hit of her rookie campaign. She would come around to score on Pray's lined single to left that followed. Pray would steal second but would be left there.
After Collins struck out the first batter of the seventh, a bunt single and a Colonial miscue allowed the guests to edge one run closer. Collins then got a pair of groundouts sandwiched around a single to finish off the win.
Gabelt' blast in the opening game was her fourth of the season, and 17th of her career, which moved her into a tie for sixth all-time at RMU in homers. Her multi-RBI performance was her fourth of the season and 15th of her career.
With non-conference action complete, Robert Morris will play 10 consecutive Northeast Conference contests to close its slate, beginning this Sunday, April 24, against Bryant.
