MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. - Chelsea Paprocki (Manassas, Va./Forest Park) had a two-RBI double, but the Monmouth University softball team was defeated by top-seeded Robert Morris, 8-2, Thursday afternoon at the North Athletic Complex. The loss sets up an elimination round match-up with No. 2 Quinnipiac, tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. The Bobcats fell to No. 3 LIU Brooklyn, 5-0, in the tournament opener earlier Thursday.

Alicia DeSanto (Upper Darby, Pa./Upper Darby) led the way for the Hawks with two hits, while Christine Scherr (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth Area), Tish Derer (Philadelphia, Pa./Saint Basil Academy), Kaitie Schumacher (San Diego, Calif./Scripps Ranch), Vanessa Cardoza (Santa Ana, Calif./Ocean View) and Paprocki each added one hit.

Lauren Sulick (Canfield, Ohio/Canfield) took the loss for MU, allowing five runs, three earned, on four hits and four walks in three innings pitched. Jordan Barnett (Eads, Colo./Eads [Garden City C.C.]) allowed three runs, two earned, on six hits in three innings pitched.

The Colonials struck first in the bottom of the first on Cassie Show's two-out two-run single to right center. With runners on first and third, Robert Morris then executed a double steal in which the runner from first got into a rundown, allowing the runner from third to score before the Hawks could make the tag between first and second, giving RMU a 3-0 lead after one inning.

MU immediately reclaimed two runs on Paprocki's two-run double down the left field line, scoring Cardoza and Flores in the top of the second. But a pair of errors on the infield allowed two additional Robert Morris runs to score, giving the Colonials a 5-2 lead. Robert Morris added a run in the fourth and another two in the fifth to build an 8-2 lead.

NEC Pitcher of the Year Nicole Sleith retired 16 batters in a row, spanning the last two outs of the second inning through the first two outs of the seventh inning. Sleith scattered seven hits without issuing a walk, striking out nine.