Moon Township, Pa. – The
Robert Morris University softball team used five extra-base hits, including two long balls, to rally from an early deficit and claim an 8-3 victory over visiting Central Connecticut State in the opening game of a Northeast Conference doubleheader Wednesday afternoon at a mostly cloudy, and sometimes wet, North Athletic Complex.
The Blue Devils would jump out to an early lead again in the nightcap, but this time they would hang on for a 6-4 win.
Senior
Haileigh Stocks had a great showing at the plate as she finished a combined 4-for-7 with a home run, two doubles, a walk and five RBI. Her game-tying long ball in the opener was her seventh of the season, and 16th of her career, while her pair of two-baggers gave her nine on the season and 34 in her career.
Senior
Kristen Gabelt homered in each game Wednesday, walked once and tallied four RBI and four runs scored. Gabelt's pair of blasts increased her season total to eight, one of the top 10 marks in RMU single-season history, and her career mark to 21. She became the sixth Colonial to surpass 20 career homers with her efforts against the Blue Devils.
Senior
Lauren Hackett and juniors
Stacey Capp and
Jordan Gurganus each doubled Wednesday. The senior posted four hits on the day while both juniors netted three.
RMU scored in four of the six innings in which it batted in the opening game after falling behind early.
Central Connecticut scored three times with two down in the first as it used a trio of hits and a pair of walks to jump on top.
Gurganus singled to open the bottom half, and Hackett followed by bounding a single into left. One out later, Stocks roped a double to the fence in left center to bring home one run. Senior
Ashley Gerhart then walked to load the bases, but the Colonials were unable to score any more.
Freshman
Kaitlin Ellzy retired the side in order in the second on a soft lineout, a groundout and a fly out.
Capp walked with one down in the second but would not advance.
Ellzy struck out the first two batters of the third before getting a ground out to third to close the frame.
Hackett doubled to the fence in left center to begin the third. One out later, Stocks absolutely crushed a 1-1 offering to left center to tie the game. Gerhart then singled to center to try and restart a rally, but the next two Colonials were retired.
The Blue Devils took a leadoff walk in the fourth, but Gurganus then gunned down to Capp to catch the runner stealing. After a double to left center, Ellzy got a looking strikeout and a popup to third to end the inning.
Capp shot a single to left with one away in the bottom half and moved up a base on a Blue Devil miscue. Gurganus then singled home her classmate to put RMU on top for the first time.
CCSU got an infield single and a walk in the fifth, but Ellzy struck out the next batter before getting a routine grounder to Capp to preserve the lead.
Sophomore
Olivia Lorusso singled to center with two down in the home half but would not advance.
Ellzy retired the Blue Devils 1-2-3 in the sixth by getting a pair of groundouts sandwiched around a strikeout.
RMU would add some insurance by scoring four times in the bottom half, and it all started with two outs. Capp lined a single to center to start things, and Gurganus then doubled to right center to bring her around. Hackett then had a RBI single before Gabelt cleared the fence in left center.
Ellzy worked around a swinging bunt single in the seventh by ending the game with a grounder to third. The rookie struck out a season-best eight in the complete-game victory.
Gurganus notched her team-leading 20th multi-hit game of the season in the opener, the 52nd of her career. Her second double of 2016, the fifth of her career, helped her post a multi-RBI effort for the first time this year, and the sixth time in her career.
The Blue Devils would again jump out quickly in the nightcap, but this time RMU was unable to reel them back in.
Central Connecticut used a trio of hits, including a home run, to score three times in the top of the first.
Each of the next two half-innings was of the 1-2-3 variety.
Stocks and Gerhart singled consecutively to begin the bottom of the second, but the next three Colonials were retired.
CCSU was set down in order in the third on a strikeout, a lineout and a groundout.
Hackett singled with two outs in the home half, and Gabelt followed with a walk. Stocks then doubled to right center to bring home both of her classmates.
CCSU got one of those runs back right away in the fourth on a solo homer with one out.
Redshirt freshman
Kristen Pray singled to center with two outs in the home half, and freshman
Taylor Bartlow followed by working a full-count walk. However, a groundout to the circle ended the chance.
CCSU used a trio of hits to score a pair of insurance runs in the fifth, a frame that was played during a steady rainfall.
Hackett worked a leadoff walk in the home half on a full count, and Gabelt rewarded her patience by blasting an 0-1 pitch over the fence in left. Stocks then walked to bring the tying run to the plate. With two outs, Capp doubled to right center to put two runners in scoring position, but a groundout left both runners aboard.
Freshman
Laura Coulter retired the Blue Devils in order in the sixth on two fly outs and an infield popup.
Freshman
Abrielle McCartney knocked a pinch-hit single to right to begin the home half, but the next three Colonials hit into outs.
Coulter set down CCSU 1-2-3 in the seventh on a fly out to left, a lineout to center and a strikeout.
Lorusso lined a single to left with two away in the seventh to bring the tying run to the plate, but a groundout ended the contest.
Gurganus notched her team-leading ninth three-hit game of the season, the 14th of her career. In doing so, she cracked RMU's top 10 in career hits (168) in just her third season in the program. She also moved into 10th place on RMU's single-season hits list with her effort Wednesday, becoming the second Colonial to hold more than one spot on the list.
Stocks' two multi-hit performances Wednesday gave her six on the year and 24 in her career. Stocks and Gabelt both added two multi-RBI outings against CCSU as the duo is tied for the team lead with seven. Stocks has 14 in her career while her classmate has 18.
Hackett tallied her eighth multi-hit outing of 2016, the 15th of her career. Her third three-hit game in five weeks included her eighth double of 2016, the 20th of her career. Capp contributed her 10th multi-hit game of 2016 and added her ninth two-bagger of the season in the nightcap, the 12th of her career.
Coulter tossed 2.2 innings of shutout relief in the nightcap and struck out two batters.
With one win in their final doubleheader of the season, the Colonials will clinch a spot in the NEC Tournament. However, RMU could sew up a spot before it plays again depending on other results around the league.
Robert Morris will conclude its regular season this Sunday, May 8, against Fairleigh Dickinson.
