Moon Township, Pa. – The RMU softball team opened a four-game series with UIC Friday at the North Athletic Complex, splitting a pair of one-run affairs. The Flames stretched their winning streak to seven with a 6-5 win in game one before the Colonials posted a 2-1 victory in game two. RMU owns an overall record of 17-11 (.607) on the 2021 season, including 12-8 in the Horizon League.
GAME 1 • L, 5-6
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
UIC (17-13 / 14-6 #HLSB) extended its winning in come-from-behind fashion, scoring a pair in the top of the seventh to turn a one-run deficit into a one-run victory. Pinch hitter Larisa Villa opened the top half of the final frame with a single to right center. Dee Dee Casky was inserted back into the lineup and advanced to third on a double to right center from Kayla Wedl. The double from Wedl chased RMU starter
Madison Riggle, who was relieved by freshman
Jane Garver. The Flames tied it, 5-5, courtesy of a sacrifice fly from Samantha Ferguson that brought Casky home and advanced Wedl to third.
INTERESTING
Following the sac fly from Ferguson, Emma Crowley worked the count full before hitting a high fly ball to RMU center fielder
Alaina York, who placed a perfect throw to the plate. Wedl got in before the tag to push UIC back in front, 6-5, but RMU challenged that Wedl left the bag early. She was called out by the first base umpire, and the Colonials came in to bat for the bottom of the seventh. The umpire crew convened for a conference behind the pitching circle and after a brief exchange flipped its ruling, calling Wedl safe and pushing the Flames back in front. The Colonials got out of the inning when Garver induced Tara McElligott to fly out to center.
THE FOUR HORSEMEN
The Flames grabbed a 4-0 lead in the top of the second inning, with Maddie Spinks opening the scoring with a two-run single. UIC also received a sacrifice fly from Casky and an RBI triple from Wedl. The Colonials answered with four runs in the bottom of the fourth. Freshman
Faith Miller opened the inning with a triple to right, and graduate student
Natalie Higgins followed with an RBI single up the middle. The Colonials took advantage of two errors in the inning by UIC to plate two more runs before freshman
Avery Winchell laced an RBI double down the right field line that scored sophomore
Rachael Rhinehart with the tying run.
JUMPING IN FRONT
RMU grabbed its first lead, 5-4, in the bottom of the sixth. Riggle opened the inning with a single to left, and Rhinehart followed by poking the ball down the left field line for another base knock. Marley Hanlon relieved UIC starter Christina Toniolo, and she loaded the bases when junior
Brittney Seibert laid down a bunt single. Winchell followed by sawing off a Hanlon pitch that saw McElligott make a spectacular over-the-shoulder catch in foul territory. Her momentum, however, took away from home plate, allowing Riggle to score the go-ahead run for the Colonials.
GAME 2 • W, 2-1
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
RMU scored all the runs it would need in the bottom of the third inning. Miller opened the frame by flying out to right center before Higgins came to the plate. She worked the count full and spoiled some good pitches from UIC starter Alyssa McIntosh before ending the eight-pitch at bat with a solo shot to left. It marked the sixth home run of the season for Higgins, who extended her hitting to seven games Friday. During that span she is hitting .480 (12-for-25) with five runs, two home runs and six RBI.
MOON, SHOT
Two batters after Higgins gave the Colonials the lead, Riggle fell behind, 0-2, before launching a blast that landed three-quarters of the way up the hill in center field. Riggle, who finished 3-for-6 in the doubleheader split with the Flames, snapped an 0-for-17 skid with her performance Friday, including her fifth home run of the year. The graduate student tandem of Higgins and Riggle have combined for 11 doubles, 11 home runs, 48 RBI and 30 runs through 28 games.
DEALING
The two home runs bolstered RMU starter
Dana Vatakis, who improved to 7-4 on the season by allowing one earned run on five hits. She struck out four and didn't walk a batter while working out of a pair of jams late in the triumph. In the bottom of the sixth, Wedl opened the frame with a double and advanced to third on a single to right by Ferguson. Crowley followed by grounding out to third, and Wedl was thrown out at home when Winchell made another good defensive play, turning a McElligott grounder into an out at the plate. Vatakis closed out the inning by getting Alannah Cran to fly out to left. In the top of the seventh, UIC put two runners on with two outs, but Vatakis got Wedl to ground out to second to close the victory. In her last three starts from the circle at home, Vatakis has fashioned an 0.67 earned run average (ERA), yielding just two earned runs in 21 innings. She has struck out 12 during that stretch without issuing a free pass and is 3-0.
UP NEXT
The Colonials and Flames conclude their four-game series Saturday at the North Athletic Complex. First pitch of game one is slated for Noon.
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