Softball splits with Robert Morris Saturday

Softball splits with league-leading Robert Morris Saturday afternoon

MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. – With both teams scoreless in the top of the eighth inning, senior infielder Laura Bowen (Hudson, Mass.) came up with the go-ahead single to plate two runs, and that was all the Bryant University softball team would need en route to a 2-0 victory over first-place Robert Morris in Game 1 of a Northeast Conference doubleheader on a rainy Saturday afternoon before the Colonials took Game 2, 7-4, to split the two-game set in Moon Township, Pa.

Deadlocked at 0-0 after a full seven innings in the morning contest, Bowen came to the plate with runners at second and third after a fielding error kept the Bulldogs (11-18, 4-4 NEC) alive in the top of the eighth. The senior came through with a base hit to right center that allowed the visitors to go up by a pair, as sophomores Lauren Guy (La Habra, Calif.) and Alicia Mosesso (Abington, Mass.) came in to score on the play.

The Colonials (23-17, 8-4 NEC) could only muster an infield single in the bottom of the frame before junior Brittany Hart (North Andover, Mass.) retired three straight batters to end the game.

In a game defined by solid pitching, the Bulldogs managed to edge RMU ace Nicole Sleith (16-10), who took the loss despite striking out 12 batters and yielding just two walks and four hits. Instead, it was Hart (5-5) who came away victorious after allowing a season-low three hits against 29 batters while fanning one batter and walking two.

Before the go-ahead tallies in the top of the eighth, the Bulldogs struggled to get anything going offensively against Sleith, who only allowed a base runner to reach as far as third base up until the end of regulation. But Hart was just as dandy, working out of jams in the second, third and fifth innings with the go-ahead run in scoring position to keep the Colonials off the board.

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The Colonials would answer in the late game, however, using a trio of two-run innings midway through the contest to eventually prevail by a 7-4 margin.

Junior hurler Jennifer Jacob (Deer Park, N.Y.) was charged with the loss to fall to 6-13 on the season, while RMU's Geena Badolato started Game 2 and helped the home side earn the afternoon split on the mound.

Badolato tossed six innings and yielded no earned runs while scattering six hits, striking out five and walking one. Jacob allowed seven runs – six earned – while notching one strikeout and issuing five walks. Sleith – who took the loss in Game 1 for the Colonials – entered the game in the seventh to pick up the save by tossing a scoreless frame.

The Colonials broke through in the third inning after Sarah Capp's infield single allowed Jessica Tanigawa to score from third. Moments later, Cassie Show came in to score from third just moments before Capp was put out in a rundown play to give the Colonials a 2-0 lead after three innings.

One frame later, the home team doubled up the lead by means of an RBI double off the bat of Samantha Santillo, who led off the inning with a single to left. Three batters later, Chelsea Siar brought in another run on a base hit to left to score Allie Patton, as RMU took a 4-0 lead after four.

After keeping the Bulldogs off the board in the top of the fifth, Robert Morris tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the frame off the bat of a two-run homer from Jaci Timko, making it 6-0 in favor of the Colonials with two innings to play.

But the Bulldogs cut well into that four-run deficit in the top of the sixth, clawing across four runs on two hits while benefiting from two RMU fielding errors to slash the lead to 6-4. Sophomore Madeline Velasquez (Los Angeles, Calif.) got the visitors going with a one-out double to right center before coming in to score on an error. One batter later, sophomore Taylor Bell (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) plated the second run on a sacrifice bunt to bring home classmate Kendall Corder (Carmichael, Calif.).

Later in the frame, senior Lauren McCart (Voorhees, N.J.) cut the lead in half (6-3) with a base hit to center and moved to second on the throw. The senior right fielder eventually would cross the plate herself by means of another RMU error in the next at-bat to make it a 6-4 game headed to the bottom of the sixth.

The Colonials got one of those runs back their next time at the plate, as Siar blasted a one-out solo shot to deep left field to hand RMU a three-run advantage (7-4) that it would never relinquish. After allowing a leadoff walk in the top of the seventh, Sleith would retire the ensuing three batters to end the game.

Bryant returns to action with another conference doubleheader Sunday afternoon in Loretto, Pa., as the Bulldogs square off against Saint Francis (PA) to wrap up their weekend in western Pennsylvania.

For continuing coverage of Bryant University softball, check back online at www.bryantbulldogs.com; also follow the Bulldogs on Twitter @BryantAthletics.