Loretto, Pa. – The Robert Morris University softball team let an inning in each end of a doubleheader get away as it lost a pair of Northeast Conference games at Saint Francis (Pa.) Friday afternoon. The Colonials slip to 12-25 and 5-3 in the NEC while the Red Flash strengthen their grip on first place in the league, improving to 33-9 and 6-0 in conference.
 
Saint Francis tallied six runs in the second inning to take game one 7-2. The Red Flash then dug themselves out of a 3-1 hole with an eight-run outburst in the fifth inning of the night cap en route to a 10-6 victory. In the other 12 innings, Robert Morris outscored its opponent, 8-3.
 
Stacey Capp was the offensive star for RMU Friday as she collected five hits on eight trips to the plate. The senior had a double, drove in a pair of runs and scored twice while taking care of all eight of her chances in the field. Jordan Gurganus was the only other player with multiple hits in the twinbill. She was 2-for-8.
 
Katie Isenberg reached base on all three of her plate appearances, blasting a solo home run in game one and getting hit twice. Kristen Pray launched her first career homer and Natalie Higgins also went yard in the nightcap.
 
The Red Flash exploded for six runs in the bottom of the second thanks to four hits and an error. The biggest blow of the frame came off the bat of Madison Cabell who singled to center field to score two runs. Four of the six runs in the inning were unearned, coming with two outs. In the third frame, a leadoff walk to Kassidy Troxell would prove costly when that run would come around to score on a Kindra Witthus single.
 
Robert Morris got on the board in the sixth inning when Capp singled and moved to third on a double by Abrielle McCartney. Taylor Bartlow would then single to left, scoring McCartney from second.
 
Ellzy collected her fifth complete game of the season going six innings. She allowed six runs, two earned, and five hits. 
 
Game two looked more promising through four and half innings of action. Robert Morris generated three runs in the top of the third beginning with a full-count solo blast by Isenberg, her second round-tripper of the season. Gurganus followed with a single and would score when Capp sent a ball into left center. After a pitching change, an Olivia Lorusso single moved Capp to third. The two then pulled off a double-steal, Lorusso sacrificing herself at second and allowing the senior second baseman to score from third to put RMU ahead, 3-0.
 
The Red Flash got one back in the fourth inning as Taylor Hoover drove in Sierra McKee. The wheels would fall off for the Colonials in the fifth inning. Saint Francis scored eight runs on five hits in the frame. Two walks and a double by Jordan Seneca brought in one run before Hayley Norton cleared the bases with a three run blast to left that put the hosts in the lead, 5-3. Cabell followed with a jack to right center, and Ellzy, who started the inning in relief of Madison Riggle, was replaced by Riggle. After a hit batter and a run-scoring double, Troxell sent the first pitch she saw over the left field fence to make it 9-3.  The hosts would tack on another run in the sixth inning.
 
Robert Morris didn't go away quietly in the seventh. Higgins led off the inning with a solo homer to left center. Two batters later, Pray jumped on a 1-1 pitch to record her first career dinger, a shot to right field. Capp collected her second RBI of the day later in the frame with a single that brought in Isenberg.
 
Riggle was saddled with the loss as she went 4.0 innings, giving up four hits and five runs. Ellzy allowed four runs in one-third of an inning while Laura Coulter went 1.2 inning and allowed one run.
 
Robert Morris returns to non-conference action Saturday, April 15, when it hosts the Bucknell Bison in a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader at North Athletic Complex.