vs. ALBANY GREAT DANES 7-7 Overall March 22 // 11:00 a.m. March 23 // 1:00 p.m. March 24 // 11:00 a.m.   Series // 0-0 Home // 0-0 Away // 0-0 Neutral // 0-0 Streak // First Meeting Last Meeting // Last RMU Win //

at UMBC RETRIEVERS 9-10 Overall March 22 // 1:00 p.m. March 23 // 11:00 a.m.   Series // 6-11 Home // 3-3 Away // 1-4 Neutral // 2-4 Streak // L5 Last Meeting // L, 4-5; 3.21.09 at UMBC Last RMU Win // W, 5-0; 3.30.02 (1) at UMBC

// NOW BATTING
Coming off a doubleheader split at Penn State Wednesday evening, the Robert Morris University softball travels to Catonsville, Md., for the UMBC Retriever Classic from Friday, March 22, through Sunday, March 24. The Colonials take on will play Albany three times and the host Retrievers twice over the three-day, three-team event.
 
// AROUND THE HORN
> RMU snapped an eight-game skid Wednesday with a 4-1 win in the first game of a doubleheader at Penn State
> Freshman Dana Vatakis had her fourth complete game and third win in beating the Nittany Lions
>Vatakis leads the Colonials in pretty much every pitching statistical category
> Senior Abrielle McCartney leads RMU with a .291 average, collecting 16 hits in 55 at bats.
> Freshman Katie Gasvoda is 27th nationally and first in the NEC with two saves
> Four of the Colonials nine home runs have come with two strikes — Shiderly (1-2 count), Clark (2-2), Miller (1-2), Miller (3-2)
> RMU batters are 5-of-16 (.313) pinch hitting this season vs. an .190 overall average
> Junior Taryn Miller is 2-for-2 in pinch hitting appearances
> Colonials non-starters hit at a .357 clip (10-28) overall with a .536 slugging percentage
> Junior Madison Riggle leads the way going 3-for-4 (.750) hitting in a reserve role
> The Colonials are 13-for-19 (.684) advancing runners from third with less than two outs
> RMU scored 19 runs in its opening four games, its best output in a four-game start since scoring 20 in 2011
> The Colonials return 11 players from their 2018 team, including every player who threw a pitch for the team
> RMU added seven freshmen to its 2019 roster, two pitchers and five position players
> Sophomore Kaitlyn Clark was an All-Northeast Conference First Team pick as a utility player last season
> Clark hit .274 last season, playing 36 games and starting 25 at five different positions
> Five of the team's top six hitters return to the squad for 2019
> The team's top hitter, Natalie Higgins, is back after hitting .361 and leading the team in slugging percentage (.541)
> Higgins tied the team record for doubles last season with 14
> Freshman Kristýna Malá played for the Czech National Team in 2018
> The Colonials have won four of the last eight NEC regular-season titles
> RMU had the fifth-highest grade point average, 3.598, in NCAA Division I last season and claimed the NEC Team GPA Award
> Robert Morris was picked ninth in the Northeast Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll
 
// ON DECK
After 26 games on the road or at neutral sites, Robert Morris is slated to play its home opener on Wednesday, March 27, against Cleveland State. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. at North Athletic Complex.