Baltimore, Md. – Junior Olivia Lorusso had two home runs and seven runs batted in as the Robert Morris University softball team split a pair of decisions at UMB Softball Field in Baltimore, Md., Sunday. The Colonials, now 6-19, lost their first game of the day to Siena, 9-8, before bouncing back with a 6-5 win against host UMBC.
 
Lorusso was 4-for-7 on the day, hitting two homers, a double and knocking in seven runs. She also had a walk, putting her on base five times in eight plate appearances. Briana Bunner and Taryn Miller hit their first career home runs Sunday as well, both solo shots. Natalie Higgins went 3-of-6 and collected three RBI. Jordan Gurganus was 4-of-9 and scored three times.
 
In the second game, Robert Morris scored twice in the first inning and wouldn't trail again. Lorusso doubled in Gurganus, who led off the game with a single. Higgins then laced a single into right field that plated Lorusso. An error in the bottom of the inning allowed the Retrievers to get one run back.
 
Stacey Capp and Lorusso both crossed home in the third inning as Lorusso's fifth homer of the season, an oppo-bomb to right center, gave the Colonials a 4-1 lead. Two singles and a wild pitch scored UMBC's Kelly Lane in the bottom of the inning.
 
Miller then blasted a two-out solo home run to left center in the top of the fourth. Three straight singles by the Retrievers in the bottom of the fifth led to two runs when RMU starter Kaitlin Ellzy unleashed a bases loaded wild pitch. Another wide toss from the circle in the same at bat allowed the Retrievers to cut the margin to 5-4. UMBC tied the game in the sixth inning on Haley DeLany's homer to center field.
 
The Colonials manufactured the gamewinning run in the top of the seventh. Taylor Bartlow walked to open the frame, then moved to second on a ground out. A fielding error put runners on first and third. Gurganus then lined out to shortstop, but the fielder made an errant throw trying to double off a runner and that allowed Bartlow to come home from third for the winning run.
 
Ellzy earned the victory, improving to 1-2. She allowed six hits and four earned runs in the complete game effort. She whiffed three and walked four.
 
Gurganus went 3-for-5 in game one of the day against Siena while Lorusso, Bunner and Abrielle McCartney each collected two hits in a 9-8 loss. The Saints Chelsey Drew was 3-for-3 with a homer and five RBI.
 
Robert Morris carried an 8-7 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning after Laura Coulter came on in the bottom of the third and did not allow a run in the fourth or fifth innings. With a runner on third and one out, Drew drove a 2-2 pitch over the right center field wall that gave Siena the walk off win.
 
The Colonials took a 4-0 lead in the first frame when Lorusso homered to center field scoring Gurganus and Kristen Pray who had reached via a single and a walk. Bunner then hit a two-out solo shot to right center to cap the high scoring inning. Siena scored twice in the inning on a Drew triple. They added four more runs in the third, two via bases loaded walks by starter Madison Riggle. Coulter gave up a double to the first batter she faced in relief and that allowed two more runs to come in and gave the Saints a 6-4 edge.
 
Gurganus singled to start a four-run fourth inning for RMU. She scored two batters later when Lorusso singled to center field. After McCartney walked, Higgins double to left center to score two more runs. Capp finished off the rally and put the Colonials on top, 8-6, when she singled home Higgins with two outs. A two-out RBI single by Drew made it a one run game in the bottom of the fourth.