Moon Township, Pa. – The RMU softball team concluded a four-game series with UIC Saturday at the North Athletic Complex, splitting its second consecutive doubleheader with the Flames. The Colonials earned a walk-off win in game one, 6-5, before dropping the finale of the series, 12-6. RMU owns an overall record of 18-12 (.600) in 2021, including a 13-9 (.591) ledger in the Horizon League.
GAME 1 • W, 6-5
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Junior
Kristýna Malá led off the game for the Colonials by ripping a single up the middle, and two batters later, graduate student
Natalie Higgins kept her hitting streak alive by hitting a two-run home run to left. Junior
Erika Bell followed up the round tripper by Higgins with one of her own, going deep to center. Just 13 pitches into the contest RMU owned a 3-0 advantage, and the score remained that way until the top of the fifth, when the Flames plated a pair. The Colonials got those two right back in the home half of the inning, with senior
Alaina York scoring on an error and Higgins bringing home freshman
Faith Miller with an infield single.
GETTING HOT IN HERE
UIC earned a win in the first game of the series in come-from-behind fashion, and the Flames almost turned the trick again in the opening game Saturday. Dee Dee Caskey opened the top of the seventh with a triple to left, and Macia Ingles followed with a double to center to make it 5-3. Junior
Dana Vatakis came on as the third pitcher of the game for the Colonials, relieving freshman
Jane Garver. A wild pitch and an error allowed Ingles to score to make it 5-4, and another wild pitch moved Wedl to third. Samantha Ferguson capitalized for UIC (18-14 / 15-7 #HLSB), providing an RBI groundout to second that scored Wedl with the tying run.
WALK OFF
Junior
Brittney Seibert lined out to Wedl at short to open the bottom of the seventh before York placed a slow roller down the third base line and easily beat the throw to first for a one-out single. York advanced to second on the first pitch to Malá with a chopper to the circle before Miller laced a 1-1 single down the right field line. York raced around third to score and give the Colonials a 6-5 triumph. RMU improved to 7-3 (.700) during the 2021 campaign in one-run contests with the victory.
SWITCH IT UP
Malá, who finished 0-for-7 in Friday's doubleheader against the Flames hitting right handed, moved to the left side of the dish Saturday and finished 2-for-4 with a run in the opener of the doubleheader. She joined Miller, Higgins and Bell at the top of an RMU lineup that finished 7-for-14 (.500) with four runs and five RBI. Higgins recorded her fourth three-hit game of 2021 out of the third spot in the order, going 3-for-3 with a run and three RBI. The walk-off win helped Vatakis improve to 8-4 from the circle, as she allowed just an unearned run in an inning of work.
GAME 2 • L, 6-12
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
For the second consecutive game and 11t time overall in 2021 the Colonials struck in the first inning, grabbing an early 2-0 lead, which came with two outs. Higgins started the rally by singling through the right side before Bell plopped a double into right center on an 0-1 pitch. Graduate student
Madison Riggle followed by also taking a strike before ripping a two-run single to right. RMU added runs in the bottom of the second and third innings to open up a 4-0 advantage, as the Colonials scored their third run on a double steal, with freshman
Avery Winchell pilfering home, while Bell's RBI single through the right side scored Miller, who led off the third with a single to left.
HEAT
UIC scored a pair in the top of fourth to cut their deficit in half before erupting for eight runs an inning later on seven hits and taking advantage of a pair of RMU miscues to grab a 10-4 lead. Cassie Kaelber opened the frame with a double over the head of York in center field, and the Flames followed with three perfectly placed bunts, the second of which scored Kaelber and made it a one-run game. Ferguson pushed UIC in front with a two-run single to right, and Maddie Spinks and Ingles each drove in a pair with singles. The Flames also stole five bases in the contest and eight in the four-game set.
SHOW BILL
In her final at bat of the series, Wedl hit a two-run home run, her eighth of the year, in the top of the seventh that gave the Flames a 12-4 advantage. Higgins concluded the scoring in the bottom half of the frame for the Colonials, slamming her eighth dinger of the season, also a two-run shot. The matchup of the two top hitters in the Horizon League lived up to the billing. Despite having a seven-game hitting streak snapped in game one Saturday by going 0-for-3, Wedl hit .375 (6-for-16) during the series against the Colonials with five runs, a pair of doubles, a triple, a home run and four RBI. She also stole a pair of bases. Higgins, meanwhile, stretched her hitting streak to nine games by finishing 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBI in the nightcap Saturday. During the four-game set against the Flames, Higgins hit an even .500 (7-for-14) with a double, three home runs, seven RBI and five runs scored.
DOUBLE KNOTTED
The second hit for Higgins Saturday came in game one with a double down the right field line. It marked career double No. 41 for the Middletown, Ohio, native and also tied the RMU career school record. Former Colonial Lauren Dickinson also hit 41 doubles during her career from 1998 to 2001. During her nine-game hitting streak, Higgins has posted a slash line of .531/.595/.938 with eight runs, four home runs and 11 RBI.
UP NEXT
The Colonials return to the road for another four-game series, making their way back to the state of Indiana Friday, April 16, and Saturday, April 17. RMU will take on IUPUI in doubleheaders each day in Indianapolis, Ind.
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