RMU (7-5 / 2-2 Horizon League) @ Green Bay (7-5 / 2-2 Horizon League)
Saturday, March 20, 2021 • 1:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 21, 2021 • Noon
King Park • Green Bay, Wisc.
 
Cracker Jack & Sunflower Seeds
 
- The RMU softball team travels to Green Bay, Wisc., for its first Horizon League road test this weekend, taking on Green Bay at King Park for a four-game series. Originally scheduled for Friday and Saturday, the series has been moved to Saturday, March 20, and Sunday, March 21, due to the weather forecast in the region.
 
- The Colonials and Phoenix will play a doubleheader Saturday, with first pitch slated for 1:00 p.m., and will conclude the series with a twin bill Sunday at Noon.
 
- RMU opened its first season in the Horizon League by splitting a pair of doubleheaders with Detroit Mercy last weekend at the North Athletic Complex. The Titans won game one of each double dip, with the Colonials coming back to earn victories in game two.
 
- The Colonials enter their series at Green Bay pacing the Horizon League batting average (.304) while ranking second in earned run average (3.17). In addition, RMU is tops in the league in slugging (.483), runs (62) and triples (3) while being tied with Cleveland State atop the leaderboard in total bases (116).
 
- Graduate student Natalie Higgins leads the Horizon League in hitting, having produced a .419 (18-for-43) batting average in 12 games. She is also tied for the conference lead in RBI (15) with Sydney Bajusz of Cleveland State.
 
- Higgins and senior Alaina York are the only two Colonials to have started each of RMU's 12 games on the 2021 season. The duo is joined by freshman Catalina Saxen as the only other student-athlete for RMU to play in all 12 games.
 
- In 10 games, junior Brittney Seibert owns a slash line of .357/.400/.536 and leads the Colonials with five doubles. Defensively, she also owns a team-high 25 assists.
 
- RMU returns home to the North Athletic Complex after taking on the Phoenix, welcoming Cleveland State for a doubleheader Tuesday, March 23, at 2:30 p.m. to open a six-game homestand.

GREEN BAY LINKS
- Video (3/20/21) - Game One
- Video (3/20/21) - Game Two
- Video (3/21/21) - Game One
- Video (3/21/21) - Game Two
- Live Stats
- RMU Athletics Gameday App
 
The All-Time Series (Green Bay) – The Colonials and Phoenix have met just once prior to this weekend's four-game set, with RMU earning a 3-2 victory in Kissimmee, Fla., March 15, 2008. That win was the final of 10 games at the Orlando Rebel Games, a stretch in which the Colonials posted a record of 6-4 (.600). RMU grabbed a 1-0 lead in bottom of the second against Green Bay on an RBI single from Annie Dubovec, while two innings later Lauren Nisivoccia drove in two more with a triple to center as the Colonials owned a 3-0 lead en route to the win.
 
Ringing The Bell – Junior Erika Bell carries a five-game hitting streak into RMU's first Horizon League road trip, having hit .438 (7-for-16) during that span with three runs, five RBI and a pair of doubles. Bell has also reached base safely in each of the 11 games she's played in 2021 and overall on the year is hitting .333 (12-for-36). In her nine games behind the plate this season, Bell is hitting .370 (10-for-27) with five runs and seven RBI.
 
Mirror Image – A matchup to watch this weekend will be from the pitching circle. Junior Dana Vatakis leads the RMU staff, having pitched 40.1 innings on the season, having allowed 14 earned runs for an ERA of 2.43. Green Bay's Kayla Schwebke, meanwhile, paces the pitching staff for the Phoenix, having allowed 14 earned runs in 40 innings, which equates to an ERA of 2.45. Vatakis has struck out 27 compared to 23 whiffs for Schwebke.
 
That Magic Mark – Despite having her hitting streak to open the season snapped at 10 games by going 0-for-3 in game one of a doubleheader against Detroit Mercy (3/12), graduate student Natalie Higgins still tops the Horizon League in hitting at .419 (18-for-43). Only one student-athlete in program history has hit over .400 in a season, and that came in 2005. Former RMU infielder Keri Meyer hit .418 (66-for-158) on the year and struck out just once in 178 plate appearances.

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