Moon Township, Pa. – The Robert Morris University softball team swept a pair of games from Sacred Heart with ease, 9-1 (six innings) and 9-1 (five innings), to win a Northeast Conference (NEC) regular-season championship for a third straight season in each team's regular-season finales on a sunny and mild day at the North Athletic Complex.
With its two victories, RMU clinched the top seed in the NEC Tournament as well as the right to host the event, which will take place Thursday, May 9, through Saturday, May 11.
Robert Morris' sweep makes it only the second NEC program, past or present, to have won a regular-season title in three consecutive seasons. RMU claimed its seventh regular-season title in program history Sunday and its fifth since the 2005 season. The Colonials also reached the 30-win mark for the second straight year, marking just the second time in program history, and first since 1992, that RMU has won 30 games in back-to-back seasons.
Junior Chelsea Siar (Glenshaw, Pa. / Shaler Area) had a big day at the plate as she homered in both ends of the doubleheader and had four RBI on the day. She blasted the 17th and 18th home runs of her career, which moved her into sole possession of fourth place in RMU history. Siar tallied her team-leading seventh multi-RBI effort of the season in the opener and the 20th such performance of her career. Her performance Sunday marked the second time in her career she blasted a pair of homers in the final doubleheader of the regular season to help RMU clinch a regular-season title that day.
Freshman Ashley Gerhart (Imperial, Pa. / West Allegheny) reached base safely five times Sunday as she went 3-for-5 with two doubles, two walks, four runs scored and a RBI. Gerhart notched her team-leading 12th multi-hit game of the season in the opener.
Sophomore Samantha Santillo (Ellwood City, Pa. / Lincoln) went 3-for-6 for the second straight day and added a double, a RBI and a run scored. She posted a multi-hit game for the second straight day, which was the 19th such effort of her career.
Siar, Gerhart and Santillo were three of the eight Colonials who had at least two hits on the day.
Junior Geena Badolato (Mt. Lebanon, Pa. / Mt. Lebanon) went the distance in the nightcap and allowed five hits, all singles, three of which were of the infield variety. She yielded just one unearned run and walked a lone batter while throwing 48 of her 70 pitches for strikes.
Sophomore Nicole Sleith (Smithton, Pa. / Yough) earned the complete-game win in the opener as she allowed four hits and one run. She struck out seven batters without allowing a walk to surpass 200 strikeouts for the second straight season. She becomes just the third Colonial ever to have multiple 200-strikeout seasons in a career.
Sleith also went 2-for-6 at the plate and scored a run Sunday.
Sleith retired Sacred Heart in the first inning of the opener on a strikeout and two groundouts, and the Colonial offense immediately went to work in the bottom half.
Gerhart led off the inning by nailing a double into the left center gap before classmate Lauren Hackett (Glenshaw, Pa. / Shaler Area) put down a successful sacrifice. Freshman Haileigh Stocks (Jamison, Pa. / Central Bucks South) followed by knocking a RBI single into left to give RMU the early lead. Santillo then dropped in a single along the left field line to put two aboard, and Siar unloaded the bases with a three-run blast that cleared the fence down the left field line.
Sleith used a strikeout, her second of the frame, to leave a runner aboard in the second inning.
Senior Maritza Jimenez (Vineland, N.J. / Vineland) opened the second with an opposite-field single to right. RMU would eventually get runners on second and third with two down in the frame but would not add on in the second inning.
A hit batter and a Colonial miscue gave Sacred Heart some life in the third, but Sleith shut the door with a swinging strikeout.
The only batter to reach base in the next three half-innings would be a solo homer by the Pioneers in the fourth.
Sacred Heart had a one-out infield single in the fifth, but Sleith then snared a liner out of the air and fired to Hackett to double the runner off and complete an inning-ending double play.
Gerhart walked to start the fifth and moved to second on a sacrifice by Hackett. After the second out of the inning, Santillo lined a single into left that brought Gerhart home.
The Pioneers had a pair of hits in the sixth, but Sleith again ended the inning with a strikeout.
Robert Morris ended the game on run-rule differential with a big sixth inning. Sleith started it off by knocking a single up the middle, and sophomore Tess Apke (Mt. Lebanon, Pa. / Mt. Lebanon) followed by driving a single through the left side. Jimenez then singled to load the bases before freshman Kristen Gabelt (Ligonier, Pa. / Ligonier Valley) bounded a single into left to score Apke and pinch-runner Alexis Schwartzmiller (Carnegie, Pa. / Chartiers Valley). Gerhart then singled, the fifth consecutive hit for RMU, to bring home pinch-runner Chelsea Evans (Beaver Falls, Pa. / Riverside). The Colonials would bring home the game's final run on a Pioneer miscue.
Jimenez had her sixth multi-hit game of the season and the 16th of her career in the opener while Gabelt added her second multi-RBI outing of the year.
The second game would mirror the opener in several ways as RMU cruised to a victory.
Sacred Heart would score an unearned run in the first on an infield single, a groundout, a flyout and a Colonial error.
RMU got that run right back in the home half, though, as Gerhart doubled to start the bottom of the first for the second time Sunday. One out later, Stocks worked a seven-pitch walk, and Santillo followed by ripping a RBI double down the left field line. A pair of groundouts ended the inning.
Badolato got a groundout to leave a runner aboard in the second.
Robert Morris pulled ahead in the home half as Apke started things off with a single into left before Gabelt beat out a bunt single. Junior shortstop Cassie Show (Connellsville, Pa. / Connellsville) then put down a sacrifice, but, due to a Pioneer error, Show was safe, and each runner advanced an extra base. An illegal pitch scored the inning's second run. After a groundout, Hackett put down a fine squeeze bunt to plate Show with the third run of the inning.
Badolato worked around two infield singles and a walk in the third, aided in part by Santillo firing to second to catch a runner stealing.
Sleith singled to left center with one away in the third. One out later, an error put two runners aboard. Show followed with an opposite-field single into right to score a run and then promptly stole second. After Gerhart was intentionally walked to load the bases, multiple Pioneer errors allowed three more runs to cross the plate for RMU.
Sacred Heart had a pair of one-out singles in the fourth, but Badolato got two groundouts to end the inning.
Siar led off the home half by crushing the first pitch slightly left of straightaway center to give the Colonials an eight-run lead.
With a runner on first and one out in the fifth, Badolato fielded a grounder back to the circle. She threw to Show to force the lead runner, and the shortstop then fired to Hackett to complete a championship-clinching double play.
Siar's seventh homer of the season moved her into a tie for ninth in single-season RMU history in that category. The opener was also her second career game with at least three RBI.
RMU claimed its seventh 30-win season in school history Sunday and went 16-4 in NEC play, marking its highest conference win total since 2006.
Robert Morris' 2013 senior class also tied the program record for most wins by a senior class with 119.
RMU improved to 23-8 all-time against Sacred Heart.
The Colonials will remain at home for the league tournament as they will host LIU Brooklyn in their opening round game. RMU, the Blackbirds, Central Connecticut State and Monmouth will be the participants in the double-elimination event.
