Moon Township, Pa. – The RMU softball team christened a new era Friday, splitting a doubleheader with Detroit Mercy at the North Athletic Complex in its first two games as a member of the Horizon League. The Colonials dropped a 3-1 decision in nine innings in game one before posting an 8-0 triumph in five innings in the nightcap for their first #HLSB victory. RMU pushed its overall record on the 2021 campaign to 6-4 (.600), including 1-1 (.500) in the Horizon League.
GAME 1 • L, 1-3 (9)
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
A pitcher's duel between junior
Dana Vatakis of the Colonials and Liz Murphy of the Titans (1-1 / 1-1 #HLSB), RMU grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth, as an RBI single from junior
Erika Bell drove in pinch runner
Julia Ehrman with the game's first run. UDM tied it in the top of the sixth, taking advantage of an RMU error to knot the score, 1-1. Maddy Heilner drew a one-out walk and advanced to second on an error by the Colonials, and two batters later she scored on an RBI groundout from Jordyn Chapman.
EXTRA EXTRA
UDM took its first lead of its 2021 season with one out in the top of the ninth when Allison Smith connected for a two-run home run down the right field line to give the Titans a 3-1 advantage. In the bottom of the ninth, junior
Brittney Seibert doubled to center with two outs, but pinch hitter
Kinsey Ventura grounded out to short to end the RMU threat. Vatakis took the defeat in the circle as the tough-luck loser, allowing just a pair of earned runs in nine innings. She matched a season high with seven strikeouts for the second consecutive outing.
DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME
RMU's twin bill with the Titans Friday matched the earliest home opener in program history. The Colonials previously opened their home season on the same date in 1999. That doubleheader featured Pitt earning a 6-5 win in game one over the Colonials before game two ended in a 7-7 tie after eight innings. The game was called on account of darkness.
GAME 2 • W, 8-0 (5)
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
RMU wasted little time matching its run total from the first game, pushing three across the plate in the first inning on three hits. Graduate student
Natalie Higgins sandwiched a single around walks to freshmen
Charlotte Grover and
Catalina Saxen to load the bases, and fellow grad student
Madison Riggle put the Colonials up early with an RBI single to right center on a 2-0 pitch. Bell followed with a two-run double to left center to give RMU a 3-0 lead. Higgins added a run for the Colonials in the bottom of the second to make it 4-0 with a sacrifice fly that scored senior
Alaina York, who opened the inning by reaching on an error.
100
Higgins joined an exclusive club as the Colonials added four more runs in the fourth. Grover pushed the lead for RMU to 5-0 with an RBI double to right center, and Higgins followed by driving in junior
Kristýna Malá and Grover with a two-run single. She picked up career RBI number 100 and 101 with the single, becoming the third player in program history to reach the 100-RBI plateau. Former Colonials Kali Byers (2003-06) and Heather Ferrari (1991-94) rank first and second in program history with 144 and 102 RBI, respectively.
ZONED IN
Higgins finished 2-for-2 with a run and three RBI in game two and coupled with a 1-for-3 performance in game one extended her hitting streak to open the season to 10 games. She is hitting an even .500 (18-for-36) on the 2021 season. Seibert also collected two hits in game two and finished the doubleheader Friday 3-for-5, with each of her three hits of the doubles variety. The offensive output in game two made a winner out of Riggle from the circle, who improved to 2-1 on the year by scattering three hits, walking a pair and striking out four in five shutout innings.
UP NEXT
RMU concludes its four-game series with Detroit Mercy with two more at the North Athletic Complex Saturday, March 13. The first game of the doubleheader is slated to begin at 1:00 p.m.
Follow The Colonials: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
