WILMINGTON, North Carolina – Senior Briana Bunner collected three hits and scored two runs as Robert Morris held off a late rally by UNCW to edge the Seahawks, 6-5, in the final game of the Seahawk Softball Challenge at Boseman Field on Sunday afternoon.
The win lifted the Colonials' record to 6-8 on the season while UNCW dropped to 4-14 with its third straight loss.
Robert Morris scored three times in the top of the second inning to take a 3-0 lead. Senior Taryn Miller hit a two-run double to left field before scoring one batter later when the Seahawks recorded an error on a bunt single by freshman Danielle Jason.
UNCW answered with two runs in the bottom of the third inning to cut the deficit to 3-2. After senior
Dominique Travers drove in a run with a single up the middle, she scored on a RBI single by sophomore
Janel Gamache with two outs in the inning.
The teams traded a run in the fourth inning before Robert Morris extended its lead with two runs in the top of the seventh inning on a two-run home run by senior Madison Riggle.
The Seahawks closed the gap to 6-5 in the bottom of the seventh frame. Sophomore
Jada Santiago made it a 6-4 game when she singled up the middle to score junior
Ashley Marriner. An RBI groundout by redshirt senior
Rachel Willis trimmed the margin to one run, but junior
Hunter Bizzell struck out to end the game.
While Bunner went 3-for-4 with two runs scored to lead the Colonials, Miller added a 2-for-2 performance with three runs batted in. Dana Vatakis earned the win in the circle for Robert Morris after giving up two runs on three hits in 3.2 innings of relief.
Senior
Rylee Pate took the loss for UNCW after giving up four earned runs on nine hits in a complete game effort. The Mount Olive, N.C., product tallied a career-high 15 strikeouts against just two walks.
Up Next: UNCW welcomes in-state foe North Carolina to Boseman Field on Wednesday, Mar. 4, for a single game at 4 p.m.
