Clearwater, Fla. – The Robert Morris University softball team twice managed to take leads late into its games on Friday. And twice it watched those leads disappear in a pair of losses – 4-3 to Iona and 6-5 to Northern Kentucky. The Colonials slip to 4-14 overall with the losses in the first day of action at the Under Armour Classic in Clearwater, Fla.
 
Abrielle McCartney, Bridget Guiney and Natalie Higgins all collected three hits Friday. Guiney went 3-for-4 against Northern Kentucky with a homer and three runs batted in. McCartney had a double and two runs scored. Katie Isenberg and Olivia Lorusso tacked on two hits apiece while the latter knocked in a trio of runners.
 
Higgins started the first game against Iona with a leadoff single and was followed on to the bases by Kristen Pray who drew a walk. A double to right center off the bat of McCartney drove in Higgins and a Lorusso sacrifice fly to right put RMU on top, 2-0, in their half of the first.
 
RMU starter Kaitlin Ellzy had been cruising through the first two innings before struggling with her control in the third. She walked four in the frame, pushing two runs across the plate before Laura Coulter came on to get out of the jam.
 
A leadoff walk to McCartney ended up being the Colonials third run of the game when Lorusso laced a double inside the third base line. The lead was short-lived, however. In the bottom of the inning, Iona pushed two runs across to take a 4-3 lead they would not relinquish.
 
Game two of Friday's action followed a similar story, the Colonials gaining the lead only to watch it slip away late. Northern Kentucky took a 2-0 lead scoring single runs in the second and third innings before Guiney launched a two-run bomb to left field to tie the game in the fourth. An error in the bottom of the frame allowed the Norse to quickly regain the lead, 3-2.
 
The Colonials fought back with single runs in the fifth and sixth. Lorusso singled in McCartney in the fifth to tie the game. RMU then took the lead in the sixth when Higgins singled through the middle to score Taylor Bartlow who came on to pinch run for Guiney. But once again, NKU was able to answer immediately. The Norse had their first five batters of the sixth inning reach safely en route to two runs and a 5-4 advantage. Kaitlyn Clark was called on in relief and she got out of the jam by inducing a pair of groundouts.
 
Three hits, sharp singles by Katie Isenberg, Ashlee Groover and the final by Guiney pushed in the tying run to make it 5-5 in the top of the seventh. For the third time on the day, though, Northern Kentucky responded in the bottom half of the frame. A one-out walk was followed by a throwing error that allowed the game-winning run to come all the way in from first base and resulted in the Colonials second come-from-ahead loss on the day.
 
Madison Riggle threw seven innings over the course of the two games but did not factor in either decision. Clark took the loss in relief in game two while Laura Coulter, the third pitcher of the opening game, was saddled with the Iona loss.
 
Robert Morris continues play in the Under Armour Classic Saturday, March 10, when it takes on Maine and Delaware State beginning at 9:00 a.m.