#4 RMU (25-17) @ #1 Youngstown State (35-13)
2021 Horizon League Softball Tournament
Thursday, May 13, 2021 • Noon
Covelli Sports Complex • Youngstown, Ohio

Video: ESPN+ w/ Will Haskett (pxp)

Cracker Jack & Sunflower Seeds
 
- The RMU softball team makes its first appearance in the Horizon League Softball Tournament Thursday, taking on No. 1 seed Youngstown State at Noon at the Covelli Sports Complex in Youngstown, Ohio.
 
- The Colonials concluded their maiden voyage through the Horizon League in 2021 with a record of 20-14 (.588) against league foes. Of the eight series RMU played in conference action in their first year as a member of #HLSB, the Colonials won four, split three and dropped one.
 
- RMU posted a mark of 7-5 (.583) against the top three seeds in the 2021 Horizon League Tournament. The Colonials took three of four from Oakland and split a four-game series with both UIC and Youngstown State. Each of those 12 games were played at the North Athletic Complex.
 
- Youngstown State won the 2021 #HLSB regular-season title with a record of 28-8 (.778) in league play, while Oakland and UIC each finished 23-11 (.676). The Golden Grizzlies took three of four from the Flames in Rochester, Mich., and are the No. 2 seed in the 2021 Horizon League Tournament.
 
- In the Horizon League rankings, RMU ranks second in doubles (62), third in runs (206) and RBI (176), fourth in total bases (477), tied for fourth in slugging percentage (.410) with Youngstown State and fifth in hits (315), batting average (.271) and on-base percentage (.346).
 
- Graduate student Natalie Higgins leads the Horizon League in batting average (.415) entering the 2021 Horizon League Tournament while ranking second in the circuit in hits (59) and total bases (98) and third in home runs (9), RBI (43) and on-base percentage (.465).
 
- RMU wrapped up its 2021 regular season by splitting a four-game series with Cleveland State at Viking Field in Cleveland, Ohio. The Colonials clinched their bid to the Horizon League Tournament with a 4-3 victory in eight innings in the first game of the series. RMU also won game three of the series, 7-3.
 
- In the four-game series at Cleveland State, freshman Catalina Saxen hit .462 (6-for-13) with a run, double and two RBI, while sophomore Avery Winchell hit .357 (5-for-14) with three runs, three RBI and a pair of doubles.
 
- From the circle against the Vikings, sophomore Rachael Rhinehart picked up both wins in the series, pitching nine innings and striking out 12 without walking a batter. She allowed three earned runs on five hits for 2.33 earned run average (ERA) against Cleveland State. Entering the 2021 Horizon League Tournament, Rhinehart owns 20 strikeouts in 16.1 innings over her last four appearances, including two starts.
 
- The winner of Thursday's opening game of the 2021 Horizon League Tournament advances to play at Noon Friday, May 14, against the winner of game two, which pits Oakland against UIC. The loser of game one will return to the Covelli Sports Complex for Thursday's elimination game, which is slated for first pitch at 6:00 p.m.

Horizon League Tournament Links
- #HLSB Tournament Homepage
- #HLSB Tournament Bracket
- #HLSB Statistics
- RMU Statistics
- Video
- Live Stats
 
Conference Tournament History – The Colonials are making their first appearance in the Horizon League Tournament, as RMU joined the conference July 1, 2020, when the league's board of directors approved the university's application for membership. The last time the Colonials appeared in a conference tournament came in 2017 in Loretto, Pa., when RMU was the No. 4 seed of the Northeast Conference (NEC) Tournament. The Colonials own six NEC Tournament crowns, including four consecutive from 1991 to 1994. RMU has made two appearances in the NCAA Tournament thanks to NEC Tournament championships, including a play-in series against Niagara in 1998 while earning the NEC's automatic bid in 2005.
 
The All-Time Series (Youngstown State) – The Colonials and Penguins are no strangers on the diamond, as RMU has posted a record of 30-25 (.545) against Youngstown State since 1991. The two teams split a four-game series at the North Athletic Complex in what ended up being the final home games of the 2021 season for the Colonials. YSU took game one and game three of the set, both by a 3-0 score and behind complete games from Elle Buffenbarger, while RMU won games two and four, both in eight innings in walk-off fashion.
 
Eight Is Enough – Freshman Charlotte Grover played hero in the nightcap of game two of the series against Youngstown State, as her single to right brought home fellow rookies Catalina Saxen and Faith Miller with the tying and winning runs in a 6-5 walk-off victory. The next day, graduate student Madison Riggle singled in the bottom of the eighth to score junior Erika Bell with the winning run in a 2-1 walk-off win over the Penguins. RMU enters the 2021 Horizon League Tournament with a record of 5-2 (.714) in extra innings, including 4-1 (.800) in games decided in eight innings.
 
The All-Time Series (Oakland) – RMU owns a record of 4-1 (.800) all-time against the Golden Grizzlies and took three out of four in a series at the North Athletic Complex earlier this season. RMU dropped the first game of the series to Oakland, 10-1, before posting a 4-3 win in game two as junior Erika Bell hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth to propel the Colonials. RMU took games three and four of the series the next afternoon, posting a 3-2 win and a 4-0 triumph. Junior Dana Vatakis was 2-0 from the circle in the series, allowing just one earned run in 14 innings (0.50 ERA), striking out eight and not walking a batter.
 
The All-Time Series (UIC) – The Flames and Colonials have met eight times since 1992, splitting eight games. RMU and UIC split a four-game series at the North Athletic Complex, with three of the contests decided by a run. The Flames earned a 6-5 win in the series opener, while the Colonials posted a 2-1 victory in game two and a 6-5 walk-off triumph in game three. In the four-game set, graduate student Natalie Higgins hit .500 (7-for-14) with five runs, a double, three home runs and seven RBI.
 
Mirror Image – Each of the four teams that will compete in the 2021 Horizon League Tournament hit 30 home runs during the regular season. Youngstown State has hit 32 dingers in 48 games, while UIC owns 31 home runs in 47 contests. Both Oakland and RMU own 30 home runs, with the Colonials having played 42 games and the Golden Grizzlies 38.
 
Power Wheels – Graduate student Madison Riggle hit .385 (5-for-13) in the four-game series with Youngstown State and on the 2021 season ranks second for the Colonials in home runs (7) and third in RBI (21). In the first 99 career at bats for Riggle, she went yard just twice, both of which came as a sophomore in 2018. However, in her last 164 trips to the plate, Riggle has gone yard 10 times.
 
It Takes Just One – RMU owns a record of 12-5 (.706) in one-run games on the 2021 season after splitting a pair of one-run affairs at Cleveland State to conclude the 2021 regular season. Dating back to the beginning of the 2020 campaign, the Colonials are 17-5 (.810) in one-run contests.
 
Nat At Bat – Graduate student Natalie Higgins looks to put a cap on one of the most impressive careers in program history this weekend in the Horizon League Tournament. Higgins is just two runs shy of becoming the first student-athlete in program history to eclipse career totals of 200 hits, 100 runs and 100 RBI. She currently ranks second all-time at RMU for career RBI (129) and is one of just four student-athletes to eclipse the 200-hit plateau, ranking third with 211. A closer look at the top five for career hits and RBI …

HITS

Name	Years	No.
1. Jordan Gurganus	2014-17	250
2. Jill Spargo	2004-07	219
3. Natalie Higgins	2017-21	211
4. Jaci Timko	2009-12	201
5. Jessica Calderone	2008-12	192

RBI

Name	Years	No.
1. Kali Byers	2003-06	144
2. Natalie Higgins	2017-21	129
3. Heather Ferrari	1991-94	102
4. Tess Apke	2012-15	99
5. Monica Everett	1991-94	94

 
Meanwhile – Graduate student Natalie Higgins sits atop the leaderboard in the Horizon League in batting average, as she is hitting .415 (59-for-142) on the season. The only other Colonial in program history to eclipse the .400 batting average came in 2005, when Keri Meyer (2003-06) established a single-season school mark by hitting .418 (66-for-158) en route to helping lead RMU to the 2005 NEC Tournament crown and automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Higgins has had a pair of hitting streaks during the 2021 that of 10 games and during her career owns four hitting streaks of 10 games or longer.
 
Unfamiliar Dish – Hitting on the road hasn't been a problem in 2021 for graduate student Natalie Higgins. RMU enters the 2021 Horizon League Tournament with a 14-10 (.583) record on the road as Higgins has produced a slash line of .442/.489/.721 with team high totals in runs (18), doubles (7), home runs (5) and RBI (26). The Colonials are 6-2 (.750) in 2021 when Higgins drives in two or more runs in road games, including four consecutive wins.
 
Fantastic Frosh – Rookie Charlotte Grover has been at the front of a solid freshman class for the Colonials in 2021. Grover enters the Horizon League Tournament having hit safely in 10 of her last 14 games. She has started each of those 14 contests at shortstop, hitting .261 (12-for-46) with seven runs, four doubles, a home run and 13 RBI during that stretch.
 
Quick Hits – Higgins and senior Alaina York are the only two Colonials to start each of RMU's 42 games in 2021 … The Colonials are 14-3 (.824) when leading after five innings and 16-2 (.889) when leading after six … RMU is 15-4 (.789) in 2021 when scoring first and 9-3 (.750) when scoring in the first inning … The Colonials are hitting .573 (51-for-89) in 2021 with a runner on third and less than two outs … RMU owns a record of 20-9 (.690) when freshman Faith Miller starts at second and 19-11 (.633) when rookie Charlotte Grover starts at shortstop … When Grover and Miller each start up the middle, RMU owns a ledger of 13-5 (.722) … Graduate student Natalie Higgins leads the Colonials in multi-hit games (21) and multi-RBI efforts (13).

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