Staten Island, N.Y. – The
Robert Morris University softball team used some timely home runs to rally from a deficit and pull into the lead in each of its games Saturday as it swept its Northeast Conference (NEC) openers at Wagner on a mostly cloudy afternoon.
RMU won both games by identical 6-5 scores as it swept its opening NEC doubleheader for the fourth time in five years.
Seniors
Kristen Gabelt and
Haileigh Stocks led RMU offensively Saturday.
Gabelt went a combined 4-for-6 with a walk, a double, a home run, two runs scored and four RBI. The veteran hit a game-tying blast in the fifth inning of the opener, her third of the season and the 16th of her career. She notched multi-RBI outings in both affairs, giving her three on the year and 14 in her career.
Stocks crushed a home run in each game Saturday, both of which broke tie games and pushed RMU ahead. Her long ball in the opener provided what proved to be the winning run, and she finished the day with four RBI. Stocks now has four long balls this season and 13 in her career.
The three Colonials that toed the rubber Saturday each contributed to the sweep with two separate Colonials garnering wins and the other bringing home a save.
Senior
Lauren Hackett knocked a one-out single to center in the top of the first. After she moved to second on a groundout, senior
Ashley Gerhart brought her around to score with a two-out single to left.
Wagner tied the game in the bottom half on a leadoff single, a wild pitch and a two-out double.
Redshirt freshman
Kristen Pray singled to right with two down in the second, and promptly stole second, but a groundout ended the chance.
RMU retired the Seahawks in order in the home half.
Junior
Jordan Gurganus singled to open the third, and Hackett was then hit by a pitch. Gabelt then drove a single to left to load the bases. Gerhart then scored a run as she was retired on a groundout. With two down, sophomore
Olivia Lorusso knocked an opposite-field single to right to score Hackett.
The Seahawks quickly tied the game again as a leadoff single was followed by a walk and a two-run double. With runners on first and second and no outs, freshman
Laura Coulter entered to pitch. She retired the next three hitters on a groundout and two infield popups to strand the two inherited runners.
After RMU went in order in the fourth, the Seahawks jumped on top in the bottom half. Two singles, a wild pitch and a two-out single plated a pair of runs.
Hackett singled with one down in the fifth, and Gabelt then drilled a 2-2 pitch over the fence down the left field line to tie the game. Lorusso roped a two-out liner to try and get something started, but the third baseman made a fine stab of it.
Coulter retired the side in order in the bottom half on a fly out, an infield popup and a groundout.
Stocks led off the sixth by blasting a 1-2 pitch well over the fence in left center to put the Colonials on top.
A leadoff walk and a bunt single started the bottom half to set things up for the top of the Wagner order. However, Coulter retired the next three batters to maintain the lead.
Gabelt singled to center with two down in the seventh but would not advance.
Coulter ended the proceedings without any dramatics in the bottom half as she retired the side in order on a strikeout and two fly balls to Gerhart in medium center.
Coulter earned the win by tossing five innings of relief as she allowed four hits and a pair of runs.
Hackett, who scored at least three runs for the second straight game, contributed her fifth multi-hit performance of the season in the opener, the 12th of her career. Gabelt's three-hit effort was her second of the season and the fourth of her career.
The scoring sequence was somewhat different in the second game, but the Colonials would again claim one more run than the hosts.
After Robert Morris went in order in the first, Wagner would score an unearned tally in the home half as it used two Colonial miscues, a steal and a RBI groundout to edge ahead.
RMU went down 1-2-3 in the second frame. A one-out walk by Wagner would prove no problem as Gurganus gunned down to second to catch the runner trying to steal.
Each team was retired in order in the third although Pray had a hit taken away by a diving catch by the center fielder.
RMU finally broke through in the fourth, and it started when Gurganus beat out a grounder to the left side. After Hackett sacrificed her along, Gabelt walked. After a second out, Lorusso delivered a clutch, two-out single to left to tie the game. Stocks then nailed a 1-2 pitch deep to left center to give the guests a three-run lead.
A bunt single and a single to center started the fourth, but freshman
Lacee Collins then retired the next three batters, on two groundouts and a strikeout, to close the frame.
Gurganus lined a single to center with two away in the fifth, and Hackett followed by battling back from an 0-2 count to earn a walk. Gabelt then nailed a double to the fence in left center to score both runners and add to RMU's lead.
Wagner had a two-out single in the home half, but Collins retired the next batter on a soft lineout on the infield.
After RMU went in order in the sixth, Wagner made the game much tighter. A leadoff single, a one-out walk and an infield single loaded the bases for the Seahawks. With two down, the Seahawks hit a homer that just cleared the fence in right center to make it a one-run game.
Pray reached to lead off the seventh, and she would move all the way to third base, but she would not come all the way around.
Freshman
Kaitlin Ellzy shut the door in the seventh. A fly out to left began the frame, and then a Colonial miscue gave Wagner an opening. However, the rookie struck out the next batter before getting a fly ball to right that Gabelt handled for the third out.
Collins earned her first win in a starting role Saturday while Ellzy notched her first collegiate save.
Gabelt, who posted her fifth double of the season and 21st of her career in the nightcap, moved into the top 10 at RMU in career home runs Saturday. Her multi-hit game in the opener was her ninth of the season and the 31st of her career.
Stocks contributed her team-leading fifth multi-RBI performance of 2016 in the nightcap, the 12th of her career.
Gerhart edged into a tie for eighth all-time at RMU with 168 hits.
Robert Morris will be back in action Wednesday as it takes part in non-league action in a doubleheader at Canisius at 4:00 p.m.
