Moon Township, Pa. – The RMU softball team claimed its first doubleheader sweep as a member of the Horizon League Tuesday, earning a pair of wins in five innings over Cleveland State at the North Athletic Complex to improve to 10-8 (.556) overall on the 2021 season, including 5-5 (.500) in league play. The Colonials earned a 10-2 triumph in game one before scoring 11 unanswered runs in the second game to post a 14-6 victory in game two.
GAME 1 • W, 10-2 (5)
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
RMU fell behind, 2-0, in the top of the second inning when Torrie Jenkins followed up a leadoff walk by Taylor Duncan with a two-run home run to right. It was the only mistake that
Madison Riggle made in the first game from the pitching circle, as the graduate student improved to 3-2 on the year by striking out five, allowing just a pair of hits and one free pass. She allowed a leadoff single to Courtney Fernette in the top of the fifth inning, her first hit allowed since the Jenkins home run, but struck out the next two batters before getting a pop up to shortstop to end the inning.
ROUND AND ROUND
The Colonials scored eight runs on six hits in the bottom of the second, sending 13 batters to the plate in the inning. RMU took advantage of a pair of errors by the Vikings, scoring seven of its runs in the frame with two outs. Junior
Kristýna Malá and graduate student
Natalie Higgins each hit two-run singles for RMU, while freshman
Charlotte Grover, who opened the inning by grounding out to the catcher, connected for a two-run home run to left. It was the third home run of the season for the rookie from the Pacific Northwest.
SEALING THE DEAL
RMU sealed the win in the bottom of the fifth, scoring a pair of runs with two outs. Sophomore
Danielle Jason reached on an error and advanced to second before senior
Alaina York picked up her second RBI of the game with a single to left. Malá followed by ripping a double down the left field line, advancing York to third. The ball got away from Fernette of the Vikings behind the plate, however, allowing York to score with the clinching run. Malá finished 2-for-4 with a run and two RBI out of the leadoff spot for the Colonials in the win, while Higgins also posted a multi-hit effort by going 2-for-3. Each of the nine starters for RMU scored a run in the victory.
GAME 2 • W, 14-6 (5)
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
RMU set a season high in runs while tying a season best in hits (12), concluding the double dip with Cleveland State having compiled 24 runs on 21 hits. The Colonials grabbed an early 2-0 lead after one, fell behind, 3-2, in the second before tying it, 3-3, in the home half of the inning. The Vikings tacked on three more runs in the top of the third, chasing RMU starter
Dana Vatakis. Aly Packish opened the third frame with a home run to deep left, while a two-run single from Becky Hurosky gave Cleveland State a 6-3 advantage.
CHIPPING AWAY
The Colonials got two runs back in the bottom of the third inning to trim their deficit to 6-5 despite just one hit. Grover opened the inning with a walk, with junior
Erika Bell following with a single to center. Junior
Brittney Seibert was then hit by the first pitch of her at bat, loading the bases for RMU. Jason and York each followed by hitting a sacrifice fly to make it a one-run game.
WHAT COMES AROUND GOES AROUND
Eight runs in an inning is a lot to score, but RMU did one better in the bottom of the fourth inning in game two. The Colonials sent 14 batters to the plate, scored nine runs on seven hits and turned a one-run deficit into an eight-run lead. Freshman
Faith Miller opened the inning with a single to center, and Higgins followed with another single up the middle. Freshman
Julia Ehrman pinch ran for Higgins, and both her and Miller moved up on a wild pitch, leaving ducks on the pond. Riggle obliged for RMU, lacing a two-run double down the left field line to score Miller and Ehrman and put the Colonials in the lead for good, 7-6.
ICING ON THE CAKE
RMU scored seven more runs in the fourth inning with two outs. Freshman
Kinsey Ventura pinch hit for Jason with a pair of runners on and promptly ripped a two-run double to right center on a 2-2 count to push the lead for the Colonials to 9-6. Jason was inserted back into the game, and her speed became a factor when York hit a dribbler down the first base line. Hurosky couldn't field it cleanly, and Jason raced all the way around to score and give RMU a 10-6 cushion. Malá followed with a single before Miller helped RMU bat around again and reached on an error. That set the stage for Higgins, who swung at the first offering from Jenna Watts and sent it to the hill in left field for her second grand slam of the 2021 season.
RHINESTONE COWBOY
The offensive outburst made a winner out of sophomore
Rachael Rhinehart, who spun 2.1 innings in relief of Vatakis and allowed just one hit. She struck out three and walked a pair in improving to 3-1 on the year. The top three in the order of Malá, Miller and Higgins combined to go 6-for-9 with seven runs and four RBI in the game two victory.
RARE AIR
Higgins finished 2-for-3 with a run and four RBI in game two against Cleveland State, marking the second time in three days the veteran drove in four in a contest. Her performance in game two against the Vikings Tuesday marks the fourth time in Higgins' career she has driven in four or more runs. Higgins is the fifth student-athlete for the Colonials in program history to have turned the trick. Former Colonials Kali Byers (2003-06) and
Olivia Lorusso (2015-18) did it five times, and Higgins joins Ashlee Smith (2004-07) and Annie Dubovec (2008-11) in accomplishing the feat on four occasions. Overall in 2021, Higgins has produced a slash line of .426/.455/.738 and owns more RBI (27) than hits (26).
UP NEXT
RMU continues a six-game homestand by welcoming Oakland to the North Athletic Complex for a pair of doubleheaders. The Colonials and Golden Grizzlies square off for a twin bill Friday, March 26, at 2:30 p.m. and two more Saturday, March 27, at Noon.
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