(Photo Courtesy of Robert Morris Athletics)
Cleveland, Ohio – Junior Nicole Sleith (Smithton, Pa. / Yough) twirled a two-hit shutout to lead the Robert Morris University softball team as the Colonials posted two more victories Sunday at the CSU Dome Tournament at Krenzler Field.
RMU took down Bucknell, 4-3, in its first game Sunday before defeating the host Vikings, 1-0, in the final game of the tournament.
RMU was the only school in the round-robin event to finish unbeaten. As a result, the Colonials are off to their first 4-0 start since 1993.
Sleith tallied a shutout for the second straight day, the 13th of her career, by allowing two singles and notching seven strikeouts while protecting a slim lead. In tallying shutouts in consecutive appearances for the second time in her career, Sleith moved into fourth place in career strikeouts at Robert Morris with 475.
Sophomore Haileigh Stocks (Jamison, Pa. / Central Bucks South) contributed in multiple areas for the Colonials Sunday. She went 3-for-5 with a double, a RBI, a run and a steal on the offensive side while also contributing in the circle. She earned the win in the opener for Robert Morris by allowing two hits and a lone earned run in four innings. She notched her second multi-hit outing in as many days in the nightcap against Cleveland State.
Senior Geena Badolato (Mt. Lebanon, Pa. / Mt. Lebanon) picked up the save in the contest against the Bison by allowing one hit and no walks in three innings of work.
Bucknell jumped to a lead right away in the opener.
The Bison struck in the top half of the first inning as it used a walk, a sacrifice, a single and a passed ball to take a 1-0 lead. Stocks would limit the damage, though, by getting a popup to strand two runners.
Freshman Jordan Gurganus (Chesapeake, Va. / Hickory) singled with one out in the bottom half as RMU rallied back right away. After an error by the Bison, sophomore Kristen Gabelt (Ligonier, Pa. / Ligonier Valley) delivered a sacrifice fly to right to tie the game.
Stocks sent the Bison down in order in the top of the second. RMU had a runner reach on an error in the bottom half with two down but would not take advantage.
Bucknell notched a leadoff homer in the third inning to retake the lead. Later in the frame, junior Samantha Santillo (Ellwood City, Pa. / Lincoln) would cut down a runner trying to steal to get RMU back to the bat rack.
Facing their second deficit of the day, RMU once again responded immediately. Sophomore Ashley Gerhart (Imperial, Pa. / West Allegheny) lined a single into center to start the frame and moved to second on a sacrifice by Gurganus. Stocks then knocked an opposite-field single into right to plate Gerhart. After the inning’s second out, junior Tess Apke (Mt. Lebanon, Pa. / Mt. Lebanon) laced a double to base of the fence in left center before Santillo dumped a single into right to put the Colonials up by two runs.
Each of the next three half-innings was of the 1-2-3 variety. Gurganus drilled a triple into the right-center gap to start the bottom of the fifth, but RMU could not bring her all the way around.
The Bison inched closer in the sixth with a two-out solo homer, cutting its deficit to one run.
Sophomore Lauren Hackett (Glenshaw, Pa. / Shaler Area) pinch hit in the bottom half of the inning and drew a walk with two away, but the Colonials were unable to sustain the rally.
Badolato completed the game without issue in the final frame as she induced three consecutive groundouts, the last two of which she handled herself, to cap the victory.
Gurganus went 2-for-2 with a triple and a sacrifice in the opener and, in the process, tallied the first two base hits of her collegiate career.
The Colonials’ second contest of the day was just as close as the first, but featured even fewer runs.
Stocks lined a single into center with two down in the top of the first but would not advance.
After Sleith retired the side in order with a trio of groundouts in the home half, RMU scored the only run it would need in the second inning. Apke singled to start the frame and then advanced to second on an error. Santillo was able to move her along with a ground ball to the right side before Chelsea Siar (Glenshaw, Pa. / Shaler Area) delivered a RBI groundout to bring home the junior.
The Vikings tallied a two-out single to shallow left in the bottom of the second, but a flyout ended the frame.
Each of the next three half-innings went in order.
Cleveland State received a leadoff walk in the fourth. The runner would eventually steal second but would get no further.
Both teams could not muster a baserunner in either the fifth or sixth inning.
Stocks knocked an opposite-field, ground-rule double to start the seventh, but a groundout, a strikeout and a lineout did not provide the guests with any insurance.
The Vikings produced a leadoff single in the seventh and immediately sacrificed their runner to second base. Sleith would get a strikeout for the inning’s second out, but she wasn’t quite out of the woods yet. The Vikings would then take a walk, which put the winning run on base. However, Sleith dug deep and registered her final and most important strikeout of the game to close out the victory.
RMU allowed five runs in its first four games, which is tied for the fewest amount conceded in the first four contests of a season by the Colonials under head coach Craig Coleman.
Robert Morris will resume action next weekend as it takes part in the Stacy Winsberg Memorial Tournament, hosted by UCLA, from Friday, Feb. 14, through Sunday, Feb. 16. In addition to two meetings with the 11-time national champion Bruins, the Colonials will also play Western Kentucky, a team receiving votes nationally, twice and UC Davis once.
