Moon Township, Pa. – Senior
Dana Vatakis of the RMU softball team earned her second weekly honor of the 2022 season Tuesday, as she was selected the Horizon League Pitcher of the Week.
In a three-game sweep of IUPUI last weekend at the North Athletic Complex, Vatakis, who was also tabbed
#HLSB Pitcher of the Week March 29, appeared in two games, logging eight innings of work while registering a win and a save. She allowed four hits and an unearned run while striking out 10.
In the
opener of the set, a 3-1 victory, Vatakis earned her 11th start of the 2022 campaign, striking out eight and yielding just three hits to improve to 6-4 (.600) on the year from the circle. Two days later, Vatakis picked up her second save of the season by coming on in the sixth inning with no outs and the bases loaded, striking out two over two innings and yielding a hit.
In locking down a
1-0 triumph in the series finale, Vatakis helped RMU establish a single-season team record with the program's sixth save of the year. She entered with the bases full of Jaguars but got Ashley Shelton to line out to first base, with junior
Avery Winchell making the snag before stepping on first to complete a double play. Vatakis then struck out Abbey Haas looking to end the inning.
Overall during the 2022 season, Vatakis ranks third in the Horizon League in opponent batting average (.238) while also sitting third in saves, sixth in earned run average (ERA) (3.04) and eighth in strikeouts (72). In 81 career appearances in the circle, including 60 starts, Vatakis has recorded a 3.38 ERA in 393.2 innings with 260 strikeouts. She also owns 32 complete games.
Led by fourth-year head coach
Jexx Varner, the Colonials own an overall record of 22-13 (.629), including a mark of 11-3 (.786) in the Horizon League. RMU sits second in the league standings behind Oakland (11-1) and a half game ahead of Cleveland State (10-3).
The Colonials will continue an eight-game homestand Wednesday, April 20, at the North Athletic Complex by hosting Green Bay for a 2:00 p.m. doubleheader. The Phoenix sit in fourth place in the #HLSB standings with an 8-4 league ledger.
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