Lynchburg, Va. – The
Robert Morris University softball team went 1-2 in a rare tripleheader Saturday afternoon at the Liberty Softball Classic in Lynchburg, Va. The Colonials opened the day with a 8-0 loss to Rutgers before rebounding to beat Cleveland State, 6-4. RMU, now 3-8 on the year, finished off the day with a 4-0 setback to host Liberty.
Saturday was the first tripleheader for the Colonials since 2006 when they played three games on championship Sunday of the Northeast Conference Tournament. The team's last regular season tripleheader was in 2004.
// GAME ONE // VS. RUTGERS // L, 0-8 //
// Rounding the Bases
An error in the top of the first allowed the Scarlet Knights to take a 1-0 lead when Anyssa Iliopoulos wheeled around from first to score on the outfield miscue. A three-run third for the Knights was highlighted by three hits and a pair of bunts. Erin Collins, Aleah Mara and Madyson Cole accounted for the RBIs, the latter two via bunts. The Scarlets Knights added two more in the fifth followed by single runs in the sixth and seventh.
// The Batter's Box
Brittney Seibert snapped out of a five-game hitless streak, going 2-for-2 with a pair of singles. Another freshman,
Madison Shiderly, accounted for the team's only other hit as RMU did not advance a runner past second base.
Rutgers collected eight hits, half of which were doubles. Christine Malito went 2-of-4 with an RBI to lead the Scarlet Knights. A total of seven players had at least one hit and only Cole accounted for multiple runs knocked in.
// In the Circle
Whitney Jones went 5.0 innings, scattering three hits, to improve to 6-5 on the season. She struck out one and walked one. Cambria Keefer was perfect in two innings of relief. Freshman
Katie Gasvoda fell to 0-2 in her second start. The rookie allowed five hits and five earned runs in 4 1/3 innings of work. She struggled with her control Saturday, walking five batters.
Kaitlin Ellzy allowed two runs and three hits in the balance of innings.
// GAME TWO // VS. CLEVELAND STATE // W, 6-4 //
// Rounding the Bases
The Colonials jumped out to a 2-0 first inning lead when
Briana Bunner doubled to right center, bringing in Seibert who reached base on an error to leadoff the game.
Natalie Higgins pushed Bunner home when she lifted the 10
th pitch of her at bat to centerfield for a sacrifice fly.
A little two-out thunder powered the Colonials three-run fourth inning. With two outs and runners moving,
Kaitlyn Clark laced a single to right field that allowed both
Taylor Bartlow and
Madison Riggle to cross home.
Ashley Kent, who pinch ran for Clark, later scored on a wild pitch.
The Vikings pillaged all four of their runs in the bottom of the frame, closing the gap to 5-4 as they collected four hits and took advantage of a pair of RMU errors. Sydney Bajusz doubled to center to score Aly Packish. Two errors on the same play later brought Bajusz home. A groundout scored one more before Taylor Duncan's single though the left side capped the frame as Lindsay Ward crossed the plate.
Taryn Miller added an insurance run for the Colonials in the fifth as her second dinger of the season staked RMU to its final 6-4 margin.
// The Batter's Box
The Colonials managed just four hits, but they were all timely and accounted for five runs batted in. Miller and Bunner accounted for the team's two extra base hits, a homer and a double, respectively. Clark had two of the five RBIs.
Duncan was 2-for-2 for the Vikings, knocking in one run, as CSU produced seven base knocks. Alyssa Rose went 2-for-4 in the five hole.
// Inside the Circle
It was all freshmen on the rubber for RMU against Cleveland State.
Dana Vatakis earned the victory to improve to 2-2 this season. She threw six full innings, allowing four runs, only two of which were earned. She struck out two and walked. Continuing to pound the bottom of the zone, Vatakis forced 10 ground outs. Gasvoda, who started the first game, threw a perfect seventh inning to collect her second save of the season.
Kelly Hysong took the loss for the Vikings. She slips to 0-3 this season after lasting 3 2/3 innings and giving up three hits and five runs. She was victimized by a pair of errors that led to just three of those runs being earned. Rose and Alicia Major finished out the game for CSU.
GAME 3 // AT LIBERTY // L, 0-4 //
// Rounding the Bases
The host Flames opened the scoring via a single by Kara Canetto to right field that drove in Madison Via in the bottom of the second inning. Alexis Erich homered to right in the net frame, her two-run shot extending the margin to 3-0. Liberty capped off the scoring in the fifth when and infield single by Via advanced Erich from third.
RMU went down in order in the first four innings, and then collected five hits over the final three frames. Unfortunately, the Colonials were unable to force in a run.
// Inside the Circle
Liberty starter Braelyn Cooper controlled the Colonials bats over the first five innings as she allowed just one hit and collected 13 ground ball outs. Reliever Chase Cassady allowed four hits in the final two innings, but had four timely strikeouts to end the Robert Morris threats.
Colonials starter
Laura Coulter suffered her fourth loss of the season. The senior went 3 1/3, giving up six hits and three runs while striking out three. Vatakis, making her second appearance of the day, allowed one run on one hit in 2 2/3 innings of relief.
// The Batter's Box
Senior
Abrielle McCartney was 2-of-3 as the Colonials had five hits, all singles. Bunner, Shiderly and Kristyna Malá each collected hits as well.
Via and Canetto both had two hits and an RBI for Liberty. Erich collected two RBIs on her third inning home run and scored twice while Amber Bishop had a double and a run scored.
// On Deck
Robert Morris wraps up play at the Liberty Softball Classic with a pair of games Sunday, March 3. They'll take on Cleveland State and Rutgers in back-to-back games beginning at 8:00 a.m.
