Moon Township, Pa. – The
Robert Morris University softball team opened the Clearwater Spring Break Invitational Friday with a pair of one-run victories and in the process evened its overall record on the 2020 campaign to 8-8 (.500). The Colonials posted a 4-3 win over Western Michigan in their first game at the Eddie C. Moore Complex, followed by a 2-1 triumph over Yale in the nightcap.
GAME 1 • vs. Western Michigan • W, 4-3
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
The Broncos jumped out to a 3-0 lead, scoring one in the bottom of the first and adding two more in the bottom of the second. Sophomore
Dana Vatakis, who went the distance and didn't allow an earned run, didn't let the early deficit rattle her. She allowed just three hits in the final four frames and didn't walk a batter on the afternoon, striking out two. She improved to 5-5 overall in 2020 from the pitching circle and of her 21 outs, 13 were groundouts.
HEAVY LUMBER
RMU plated its first run in the top of the fourth, as an RBI single from
Madison Riggle drove home senior
Natalie Higgins, who opened the inning with a double. Two innings later, Riggle came through with another big hit, doubling to right center to score senior
Briana Bunner and pinch runner
Ariana Garroway and tie the game, 3-3. Junior
Alaina York pinch ran for Riggle after the double and ended up scoring the winning run courtesy of an RBI double to left from senior
Taryn Miller.
HEART OF THE MATTER
The middle of the order came through for the Colonials against Western Michigan, as Higgins, Bunner and Riggle, hitters three, four and five in the lineup, combined to go 7-for-10 with three runs and three RBI. Higgins finished 2-for-4 with a run, Bunner posted a perfect 3-for-3 day at the plate with a run and Riggle was 2-for-3 with a trio of RBI.
GAME 2 • vs. Yale • W, 2-1
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
What Riggle provided for Robert Morris with her bat in the win over Western Michigan, it was her work from the pitching circle against Yale that propelled the Colonials. In a complete-game gem, Riggle scattered five hits and a walk in seven innings, striking out one. She induced 11 groundouts by the Bulldogs in improving to 2-1 on the season while lowering her earned run average (ERA) to 3.90.
COME BACK COLONIALS
Yale scored its only run in the top of the first, as an RBI single from Sydney Grobman drove home Carolyn Skotz, who drew a one-out walk. Robert Morris tied it, 1-1, in the bottom of the fourth. Bunner opened the inning with a single to left and came around to score three batters later on an RBI single from sophomore
Brittney Seibert. Bunner also drove home the eventual game-winning run with an RBI single to right center in the fifth that scored pinch runner
Antonia Schaefer, who subbed in for sophomore
Erika Bell after she led off the frame with a double to center.
HEAT CHECK
Bunner finished 2-for-3 with a run and RBI against the Bulldogs and finished the day 5-for-6 at the dish with two runs and an RBI. She has hit safely in nine of her last 13 trips to the plate dating back to the Seahawk Softball Challenge last weekend in Wilmington, N.C., raising her average over 100 points in the process. Sitting at .282 after going 0-for-2 with a walk against Toledo (2/29), Bunner is now hitting .385 (20-for-52) on the year and is tied for the team lead in runs (10) with Seibert.
GET THAT ONE
Robert Morris, which is 7-1 (.875) when leading after six innings this season, improved to 5-2 (.714) in one-run games thanks to the two victories Friday in Florida.
UP NEXT
The Colonials continue the Clearwater Spring Break Invitational, taking on Penn State Saturday, March 7, at 11:30 a.m. before taking on Providence at 2:00 p.m.
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