RMU (18-12 / 13-9 Horizon League) @ IUPUI (9-20 / 7-12 Horizon League)
Friday, April 16, 2021 • 2:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 17, 2021 • Noon
IUPUI Softball Complex • Indianapolis, Ind.
 
Cracker Jack & Sunflower Seeds
 
- The RMU softball team returns to the road this weekend, traveling to Indianapolis, Ind., for a four-game series with IUPUI. The two teams will square off in doubleheaders Friday, April 16, and Saturday, April 17. First pitch Friday is slated for 2:00 p.m., while the Colonials and Jaguars will play a twin bill Saturday beginning at Noon.
 
- The Colonials split a four-game set with UIC last weekend at the North Athletic Complex, with three of the four games decided by one run. RMU earned a 2-1 win in game two of the series and also posted a 6-5 walk-off victory in game three.
 
- Winners of 11 of their last 15 games, the Colonials sit fourth in the Horizon League standings. A total of four games separate the top four teams, with Youngstown State leading the way with a ledger of 16-4 in conference play. Oakland (15-5) is in second place, with RMU sitting two games behind UIC (15-7). RMU took three of four from the Golden Grizzlies at the North Athletic Complex earlier this season and host Youngstown State to open an eight-game homestand next weekend.
 
- In the four-game set against the Flames last weekend, graduate student Natalie Higgins hit .500 (7-for-14) with five runs, a double, three home runs and seven RBI. She homered in each of the final three games of the series.
 
- Higgins carries a nine-game hitting streak into Friday's doubleheader with the Jaguars. During that stretch she has collected seven multi-hit efforts while producing a slash line of .531/.595/.928 with eight runs, four home runs and 11 RBI.
 
- Freshman Faith Miller has reached base in each of her last eight games entering play this weekend, hitting safely in seven of those contests. Over that span she is hitting an even .300 (9-for-30) with eight runs, a double, triple and three walks.
 
- RMU enters its series @ IUPUI tied with UIC atop the Horizon League in doubles (49) while ranking second in the circuit in batting average (.284), slugging percentage (.468), runs (166), home runs (24) and RBI (146). Individually, graduate student Natalie Higgins tops #HLSB in average (.446), home runs (8) and RBI (38).
 
- Outfielder Alaina York is one of two Colonials to have started each of RMU's 30 games in 2021, joining Higgins. On the road the senior is hitting .304 (14-for-46) with eight runs, four doubles and eight RBI.
 
- So far in 2021 RMU has posted a record of 7-3 (.700) in one-run games, a mark of 8-3 (.727) when scoring in the first inning and a ledger of 12-4 (.750) when scoring first.
 
- The Colonials close the home portion of the 2021 regular season with an eight-game homestand after taking on IUPUI this weekend. RMU welcomes Horizon League frontrunner Youngstown State for a four-game series Friday, April 23, and Saturday, April 24, before hosting Northern Kentucky for a four-game set Friday, April 30, and Saturday, May 1.

IUPUI Links
- Live Stats
- RMU Athletics Gameday App 
 
The All-Time Series (IUPUI) – The Colonials and Jaguars have met twice previously, with RMU earning wins in both contests. Each of the two previous games between the two programs took place in Orlando, Fla., as part of the Rebel Games. The Colonials posted a 4-1 victory March 8, 1991, over the Jaguars and in the last meeting RMU defeated IUPUI, 9-2, March 14, 2003. In the win in 1991, former Colonial Heather Ferrari (1991-94) finished 2-for-3, including an RBI double in the first inning that gave RMU the early lead. In the triumph in 2003, former Colonials Keri Meyer (2003-06) and Kali Byers (2003-06) combined to go 4-for-7 with three runs and three RBI. Byers went 2-for-4 with a run and two RBI against the Jaguars, connecting for the first of her RMU career record 35 home runs.
 
Nat At Bat – Graduate student Natalie Higgins owns RMU's active streak for consecutive games played, having started each of the last 67 games for the Colonials dating back to the 2019 campaign. Over that span Higgins is hitting an even .400 (76-for-190) with 33 runs, 13 doubles, 12 home runs and 54 RBI.
 
First Track, Back In Black – Junior catcher Erika Bell has hit safely in 11 of her last 14 games as the Colonials return to the road for a four-game set this weekend @ IUPUI. She has connected for both of her home runs on the 2021 campaign during that stretch, a span in which she has collected four multi-hit efforts and is hitting .375 (15-for-40) with seven runs, seven RBI, two doubles and three walks. Bell opened the year having safely reached base in her first 12 contests, the longest streak of 2021 for the Colonials.
 
Opportunity – Sophomore utility Avery Winchell took advantage of extended playing time in RMU's four-game set against UIC, starting each of the four games for the Colonials at third base. She hit an even .500 (5-for-10) against the Flames with a run and two RBI, smacking a double in the opening game of the series. Winchell also picked up a pair of multi-hit games, her first since February. Winchell has appeared in 26 games for the Colonials in 2021 and is hitting .273 (12-for-44) with six doubles and has earned nine starts at both first base and third base.
 
Raising The Bar – The tremendous final season that Natalie Higgins is in the midst of has her rising in the RMU career record book. The graduate student smacked her sixth double of the 2021 season in a 6-5 win over UIC (4/10), marking the 41st double of her career. That two-base hit tied the RMU career record that was originally established by former Colonial Lauren Dickinson (1998-2001). Higgins is also just three hits shy of becoming the fourth RMU student-athlete in program history to accumulate 200 career hits. A look at the top five in career hits for the Colonials …
 

Name	Years	Hits
1. Jordan Gurganus	2014-17	250
2. Jill Spargo	2004-07	219
3. Jaci Timko	2009-12	201
4. Natalie Higgins	2017-21	197
5. Jessica Calderone	2008-12	192

 
Keep Climbing – Already just the third student-athlete in program history with 100 career RBI, graduate student Natalie Higgins ranks second in program history in the category with 124, trailing only Byers (144). Elsewhere in the RMU career records, Higgins enters play this weekend against the Jaguars ranked fourth in home runs (24), eighth in batting average (.339), 11th in games played (184) and 14th in runs (92). Higgins has an opportunity to be the only student-athlete in program history with career totals of 200 hits, 100 runs and 100 RBI.

Follow The Colonials: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube

Tweet #RMUnite