Moon Township, Pa. – The
Robert Morris University softball team opened its 2020 campaign Friday by splitting a pair of games in Clinton, S.C., at the Blue Hose Invitational. Taking on host Presbyterian in a doubleheader, the Colonials dropped game one, 3-0, before posting a 7-6 victory in eight innings in game two.
GAME ONE • @ Presbyterian • L, 0-3
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
The Blue Hose grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the first inning, as an RBI double courtesy of Lexi Palazzo scored Hunter Meadows with an unearned run. That would be all the offense Jenna Greene would need, as she held the Colonials to one hit while striking nine and walking a pair in her collegiate debut.
SMASHING DEBUT
Junior
Alaina York got the start in left field on Opening Day and in her first Robert Morris at bat triple to right field with one out in the third. The Colonials couldn't get York home, however, as she was thrown out at the plate on a fielders choice in RMU's next at bat.
GAME TWO • @ Presbyterian • W, 7-6 (8)
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Despite picking up just one hit in the first game of the doubleheader, Robert Morris came alive in the second game, plating a pair of runs in the top of the first. Both
Natalie Higgins and
Madison Riggle provided RBI singles to give the Colonials an early 2-0 advantage. The Blue Hose would tie it in the bottom of the third, 2-2, before RMU went grabbed the lead right back in the top of the fourth, 4-2, thanks to a sacrifice fly from York and an RBI double from Higgins.
TYING IT UP
Presbyterian (1-1) picked up a run in the fifth and then tied it in the bottom of the seventh, 4-4, with an unearned run off
Dana Vatakis, who came on in relief of Riggle. In her 2020 debut, Riggle went six innings, allowing two earned runs on six hits while striking out four.
EXTRA EXTRA
Robert Morris (1-1) scored three runs in the top of the eighth inning, aided by one of four errors on the contest by the Blue Hose.
Brittney Seibert scored on an error by Macy Hyatt to give the Colonials a 5-4 lead, and the Colonials added two important insurance runs to help secure the victory.
Briana Bunner provided a sacrifice fly to center that scored York, while an RBI single from
Madison Shiderly scored Higgins. Presbyterian scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth without the aid of a hit, but Vatakis struck out Jaiden Tweed to end the game.
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
Higgins, hitting third in the lineup, registered career multi-hit game No. 35 in the second game of the doubleheader against Presbyterian, finishing 3-for-4 with a run and two RBI. The top three in the batting order for the Colonials, which also included Seibert leading off and York hitting second, combined for five hits, six runs and three RBI in the game two victory.
ON DECK
RMU continues play in the Blue Hose Invitational Saturday, Feb. 8, with a 10:15 a.m. tilt against South Carolina State. Weather will force the Colonials to play just one game Saturday and then conclude the invite Sunday, Feb. 9, with a 10:00 a.m. contest against Norfolk State.
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