GAMES 22-23
Akron (4-18) vs. RMU (14-7)
Tuesday, March 22, 2022 • 2:00 p.m. (DH)
North Athletic Complex • Moon Township, Pa.
 
Cracker Jack & Sunflower Seeds (Dubble Bubble, Too)
 
- The RMU softball team opens the home portion of its 2022 schedule Tuesday with a non-conference doubleheader at the North Athletic Complex. The Colonials welcome Akron for a 2:00 p.m. first pitch.
 
- RMU opened its Horizon League slate with a three-game sweep of Detroit Mercy. The Colonials swept a doubleheader from the Titans, March 17, at Buysse Ballpark in Detroit, Mich., winning game one, 10-2, before earning a 14-8 triumph in the nightcap. The next morning RMU posted a 4-2 win over UDM in 10 innings to complete the three-game sweep.
 
- In the three-game series @ Detroit Mercy, the Colonials posted a slash line of .373/.397/.609 in scoring 28 runs. Fifth-year Taylor Rhinehart paced the offense, collecting a multi-hit effort in each game in producing a batting average of .615 (8-for-13) to go along with five runs, three doubles, two home runs and four RBI.
 
- Freshman Jess Matheny started each of RMU's three games against the Titans and posted a slash line of .545/.545/1.000, hitting a pair of doubles as well as her first NCAA Division I round-tripper. 
 
- Matheny tied for team-high honors in the sweep of the Titans with five RBI along with senior Erika Bell, who hit .417 (5-for-12) against Detroit Mercy with two runs and a double.
 
- In a poll of Horizon League head coaches, RMU was picked to finish fourth in the 2022 preseason poll. Tabbed as the favorite was Oakland, which was followed by Youngstown State and UIC. The Colonials are led by head coach Jexx Varner, who is in his fourth season at the helm of the program. He has posted a record of 61-74 (.452) in his tenure at RMU.
 
- RMU enters action this week ranked second in the Horizon League in both batting average (.255) and earned run average (3.56). Youngstown State leads both categories at .285 and 3.33, respectively. The Colonials top the #HLSB leaderboard in stolen bases (29) and opponent batting average (.233).
 
- The Colonials head back on the road to continue Horizon League play after hosting the Zips, traveling to Chicago, Ill., for a three-game set with UIC. The series begins Friday, March 25, with a 5:00 p.m. first pitch and concludes with a doubleheader Saturday, March 26.

AKRON LINKS
- Live Stats
- RMU Athletics Gameday App
 
The All-Time Series (Akron) – The Colonials and Zips are no strangers on the diamond, having played 26 times since 1991. Akron leads the all-time series, 15-11 (.577), after sweeping a doubleheader from RMU in the last meeting between the two programs in 2019. At Jackson Softball Field in Akron, Ohio, the Zips earned victories of 5-3 and 12-3 over the Colonials April 23, 2019. Former Colonial Abrielle McCartney finished 3-for-4 with a run in game one three years ago, while current volunteer assistant Natalie Higgins finished 2-for-4 with a solo home run.
 
Eleven – Freshman Alaina Koutsogiani, who is tied for 10th in NCAA Division I in 2022 with 19 stolen bases with Aeriyl Mass of Southeastern Louisiana, enters RMU's home opener Tuesday against Akron having been successful in each of her last 11 attempts trying to steal. The only time Koutsogiani has been thrown out this season was in a 6-2 win over Albany (2/18) at the Winthrop Invitational. The rookie is just five steals shy of establishing a new RMU single-season record in stolen bases, as her 19 thefts already rank third behind Kelli Miller (23 in 1990) and Ashley Wood (21 in 2003).
 
Did You Know? RMU is 9-0 so far in 2022 when leading after four innings as well as 8-0 when leading after the fifth and sixth innings. Those marks include a perfect 3-0 record in extra innings. RMU enters its 2022 home opener at the North Athletic Complex Tuesday coming off a 4-2 victory @ Detroit Mercy (3/18) in 10 innings. The Colonials are 9-5 (.643) in extra innings under head coach Jexx Varner and are 8-2 (.800) in their last 10 extra inning contests since the beginning of the 2021 season.
 
The Long Ball – RMU enters its 2022 home opener Tuesday against Akron sporting a record of 7-7 (.500) this season when failing to hit a home run in a game. When the Colonials go yard at least once, RMU is a perfect 7-0. Six different Colonials have hit a dinger so far this season, including a team-high three from fifth-year Taylor Rhinehart. Senior Erika Bell and freshman Logan Black have each gone deep twice.

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