RMU @ Seahawk Softball Challenge
Friday, Feb. 28, 2020 – Sunday, March 1, 2020
Boseman Field • Wilmington, N.C.
 
Cracker Jack & Sunflower Seeds

- The Robert Morris University softball team heads back to the Tarheel State after a week off of competition this weekend by taking part in the Seahawk Softball Challenge in Wilmington, N.C., hosted by the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) at Boseman Field.

- The Colonials open the tournament against the host Seahawks Friday, Feb. 28, at 3:00 p.m. and will also face Marist the same day at 5:30 p.m. The field also includes Toledo, which RMU will take on Saturday, Feb. 29, at 3:00 p.m. Robert Morris will face the Red Foxes a second time Saturday, Feb. 29, at 5:30 p.m. before concluding the tournament Sunday, March 1, against UNCW at 12:30 p.m.

- RMU enters the Seahawk Softball Challenge with an overall record of 4-5 (.444) after going 2-3 at the Runnin' Bulldog Softball Tournament on the campus of Gardner-Webb University Feb. 14-16. The Colonials split a pair of games with Colgate, dropped two to the host Bulldogs and earned a 2-1 victory over Valparaiso.

- Sophomore pitcher Dana Vatakis was named the Northeast Conference (NEC) Pitcher of the Week (2/18) after posting a 1.50 earned run average in 23.1 innings in the Runnin' Bulldog Softball Tournament. She allowed just 15 hits and five earned runs in the tourney, striking out five.

- In a 2-1 win over Valparaiso (2/14), Vatakis carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning before allowing a leadoff single. She preserved the victory by striking out two of the final five hitters to secure her second win of the 2020 season from the pitching circle.

- Freshman Antonia Schaefer hit .375 at the Runnin' Bulldog Softball Tournament, collecting three hits in eight bats. She also walked four times to post a .583 on-base percentage while stealing a pair of bases and scoring a pair of runs. Schaefer collected her first collegiate RBI in the second inning of a 6-4 win over Colgate (2/14) with an RBI single that gave the Colonials a 5-0 lead.

- Senior Natalie Higgins produced a .316 batting average (6-for-19) at the Runnin' Bulldog Softball Tournament and has hit safely in seven of RMU's nine games in 2020. Overall on the 2020 campaign, Higgins leads the Colonials with a .375 average (12-for-32) to go along with six runs, three doubles, two home runs and a team-high nine RBI.

- RMU heads to the Sunshine State after taking part in the Seahawk Softball Challenge, visiting Clearwater, Fla., March 6-8, with the Clearwater Spring Break Invitational. The Colonials will take on Western Michigan and Yale Friday, March 6, and Penn State and Providence Saturday, March 7, before concluding the invite with Army Sunday, March 8.
 
SEAHAWK SOFTBALL CHALLENGE LINKS
- Live Stats (2/28/20)
- Live Stats (3/1/20) 
- 2020 Schedule 
 
Locked In – Senior Natalie Higgins enters the Seahawk Softball Challenge this weekend hitting .474 (9-for-19) with runners on base and .545 (6-for-11) with runners in scoring position. A key reason Higgins owns a team-high nine RBI is due in large part to driving Colonials home with less than two outs. She's a perfect 3-for-3 in 2020 in the situation with a runner on third.

A Step Forward – Sophomore Dana Vatakis leads the Northeast Conference in earned run average in the early portion of the 2020 season, as she owns a sparkling 1.39 ERA through six games. She has allowed just seven earned runs in 35.1 innings, also an NEC-high, and is tops in the circuit in strikeouts (26).

Connor's Cure – For the second consecutive season, Robert Morris will take part in a season long fundraising effort with Connor's Cure Hit-A-Thon, which will help raise money to help conquer pediatric cancer while benefiting Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. The Hit-A-Thon provides two options to raise money, including a pledge of a certain amount of money per statistical category for the 2020 season or a flat donation.

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