Clearwater, Fla. – Katie Isenberg slapped an eighth-inning single into left field that allowed the winning run to come home in a 4-3 come-from-behind victory for the Robert Morris University softball team against Penn Thursday afternoon in Clearwater, Fla. The victory snaps a seven-game skid for the Colonials who racked up nine hits on the afternoon while improving to 4-12.
 
The eight and nine hitters in the RMU lineup – Katie Isenberg and Jordan Sterling – each went 2-for-3 on the day. Sterling scored twice and drove in another run. Kristen Pray was 2-for-2 with two sacrifices and Natalie Higgins tacked on two hits in four at-bats.
 
Madison Riggle put together seven innings of five-hit ball. She allowed just one earned run while striking out five Penn batters. Kaitlin Ellzy, who came on in relief and pitched RMU out of a jam in the top of the eighth, got credit for the victory.
 
In the bottom of the eighth, Riggle worked a one-out walk before Kaitlyn Clark reached on a throwing error by the catcher to put a pair of runners on for Isenberg. She singled to left field, moving each runner up a base. The Penn catcher, however, tried to peg Clark with a back-door throw to second but instead sent the ball into center field. The errant throw allowed Riggle to come in for the game-winning run.
 
Penn took the lead in the third inning when Tabitha Dyer reached base on a bunt single and advanced to third on a pair of wild pitches. She eventually scored when Lucy Yang lofted a sacrifice fly to deep center.
 
The single run held until the bottom of the fifth inning. Sterling reached on an error and then stole second base before advancing to third on a single by Higgins. Pray's hard single through the left side pushed home the Colonials first run and tied the scores. The Quakers immediately answered with a pair of runs in the top of the sixth. A throwing error on a ground with runners on second and third allowed Penn to jump ahead, 3-1.
 
Isenberg walked to start the seventh inning and quickly moved to third on a pair of wild pitches. Sterling then singled, her line drive just out of reach of the third baseman to cut the margin to one. Higgins followed with a single and Pray moved both runners over with a bunt. Abrielle McCartney then drove in the tying run, but Higgins was hung up between second third ending the RMU threat.
 
The Colonials officially begin play in the University of South Florida Under Armour Classic tomorrow, Thursday, March 9, with a 9:15 game against Iona. They follow up at 11:30 against Northern Kentucky.