Softball | 5/14/2016 7:47:00 PM
Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2
Brooklyn, N.Y. – The
Robert Morris University softball team won its opening game Saturday against LIU Brooklyn to force a winner-take-all matchup in the Northeast Conference Tournament, but the Blackbirds barely hung on in the second game to take the title on a warm afternoon at LIU Field.
RMU won the first game Saturday, 3-1, ending the Blackbirds' 16-game winning streak and forcing an 'if necessary' contest. The Colonials battled to the bitter end in the second affair and would drop a 3-2 decision.
Robert Morris, which played two games Friday including a 15-inning marathon, became the first NEC team since 2007 to win three consecutive contests after dropping its opening game of the league's tournament.
Freshmen
Laura Coulter, sophomore
Olivia Lorusso and freshman
Abrielle McCartney were each named to the NEC All-Tournament Team for their performances over the past five games.
Coulter and fellow rookie
Kaitlin Ellzy put forth admirable efforts in the circle Saturday even after both had to work overtime fewer than 24 hours ago. Coulter allowed four hits and a lone run in 5.1 innings of work while Ellzy threw a combined 8.2 innings and yielded four hits and three runs.
McCartney had a strong end to her initial collegiate season as she went 3-for-6 with a double and two RBI. She contributed her fourth multi-hit outing of the season, and second of the tournament, while tallying her second two-bagger of the year.
Lorusso and senior
Haileigh Stocks both doubled twice Saturday, and each scored a run. With her efforts, Stocks moved into sole possession of second place all-time at RMU in doubles (36).
RMU never trailed in the opening game but would score the winning runs in its final at bat.
The only baserunner of the first three half-innings was a two-out walk by LIU in the home half of the first.
An infield single and a Colonial miscue gave the Blackbirds an opening in the bottom of the second, but Coulter handled a groundout to get out of the jam.
A two-out hit batter taken by LIU accounted for the only runner of the third inning.
Junior
Jordan Gurganus singled to right to begin the fourth and was moved to second on a sacrifice by senior
Lauren Hackett. After a second out, Stocks laced a double to the fence in right center to bring home the game's first run.
Coulter set down LIU Brooklyn 1-2-3 in the bottom half on two soft lineouts on the infield and a fly ball to right.
Lorusso led off the fifth with a double to right center but would not advance.
A leadoff infield single and a one-out miscue by RMU gave the hosts two on with one out in the home half. Coulter would escape trouble by getting a fly ball to center and a popup to short.
After RMU went in order in the sixth, LIU tied the game in the home half although it could have been more. A leadoff single, a steal and one-out single bounced through the middle would tie the game. A walk and a wild pitch then put the go-ahead run on third with one out. Ellzy then got consecutive groundouts to keep the game deadlocked heading into the final regulation inning.
Stocks doubled to right center to begin the seventh, and senior
Ashley Gerhart then switched places with her classmate by ripping a double to left center. After a first out, McCartney would single to center to tack on an insurance run.
A leadoff walk, a one-out walk and a two-out walk loaded the bases for LIU in the bottom of the seventh. Ellzy kept her cool and would get a one-hopper back to the circle, which she flipped to Hackett at first to extend RMU's season one more game.
Stocks' multi-hit effort was her eighth of the season, and 26th of her career, as she finished the season with 11 doubles.
RMU was unable to crack the scoreboard until the seventh frame of the second game, which proved to be too late.
LIU took a two-out walk in the top of the first but would not advance the runner.
Hackett lined a single with one away in the home half. She advanced to second on a groundout but would not come all the way around.
Both teams went in order in both the second and third innings.
The Blackbirds notched a leadoff single in the fourth, but Ellzy got the next three batters to hit into outs on a fielder's choice force, a fly ball to center and a lineout to second.
A two-out error by LIU allowed a runner to reach for RMU in the home half, but it was to no avail.
Ellzy retired the side in order in the fifth on a trio of groundouts.
McCartney singled to center with one away in the home half, and moved to second on a passed ball, but a lineout and a groundout then followed.
LIU would score three times in the sixth on three hits, two of which did not leave the infield, a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly.
Each of the next two innings was of the 1-2-3 variety.
After the first two outs of the bottom of the seventh were recorded, RMU sprung to life. Lorusso shot a double down the left field line, and McCartney plated her with a double to the gap in left center. Junior
Stacey Capp then lined a RBI single to center to pull the guests within a single run. However, a groundout to short would follow to bring the contest to a close.
Coulter earned All-Tournament honors after pitching to a 0.79 ERA in the event across 17.2 innings. She struck out 14 and walked three while holding opponents to a .185 mark.
Lorusso hit .438 with a .526 on-base mark and an .813 slugging percentage in the tournament to claim honors while her high school teammate hit .400 with a double and three RBI.
Capp and Lorusso had previously topped RMU's single-season assists record, but the junior ended up edging out the sophomore as she finished the year with 134. Lorusso picked up her seventh and eighth doubles of the season Saturday and now has 13 in her career.
Gurganus finished the season with 66 hits, tying her with her assistant coach
Keri Meyer for second place on the school's single-season list.
Hackett broke RMU's single-season record for putouts Saturday as she finished the year with 367. She notched 94 hits in a Colonial uniform, scored 50 runs and posted 47 RBI.
Senior
Kristen Gabelt finished her career with 147 hits, including 48 for extra bases, 79 runs and 67 RBI.
Stocks' 36 doubles helped her finish her career with 140 hits as she notched 68 runs and 75 RBI in her career.
Gerhart moved into sole possession of fourth place in all-time hits (187) at RMU Saturday. She also edged up into a tie for sixth in all-time runs (101) and slid into eighth in career doubles (27). She finished her career hitting .318 with 73 RBI.
